History Strongest Disciple Again?
by azndrgn
Summary: Time Travel Fic! When the missile detonates prematurely at Yami's base of operation during the invasion to prevent the Eternal Setting Sun, all hope seems lost... Until Niijima somehow rips a portal to the past that sucks Miu, Kenichi and himself in. Now armed with that knowledge, the trio must work together to change the future! First-time travel fic in Kenichi universe I think!
1. Chapter 1

**Here's another idea that resonated within me. It's one I'm certain nobody has done before. It's a time travel fic for... History Strongest Disciple Kenichi! And why would they, right? It's not something in the story that could possibly happen... until I gave it a lot of thought. So here we go!**

 **Special thanks to Third Fang for being an advisor for this story. Yes, that Third Fang, author of From Fake Dreams and other enjoyable stories.**

 **Read and Review! Tell me what you think!**

* * *

"Too bad, Saiga," said Senzui as he snatched the detonator

Furinji Saiga and Senzui had fought over for the detonation button of the nuclear missile Yami had created. Niijima had managed to hack into the system and shut down the launch sequence, but Yami always had a backup plan.

"To be honest, if I were to detonate it here, it'll definitely mess up the targeting system. Not to mention it might just blow up right here and now," chuckled Senzui, "But, well I'll be dead either ways."

The detonator had dropped right under the missile, where they fought to pick it up. If Senzui pressed it right now, then he would die without any time to escape. But to realize Yami's goal, the Eternal Setting Sun, he would proceed forward even at the cost of his own life.

"Tell me, Senzui," spat Saiga as he tried to distract Senzui, "How is it a man so ruthless that you kill your own comrades, let Miu go as a baby?"

Seeing Senzui pause for a second, Saiga rushed forward to try to grab it, but Senzui merely smiled and pressed the button. Seeing as he couldn't do anything, Saiga jumped away as fast as he could, barely dodging the flames. As the missile started to blast off, Senzui gave off one last statement. That he couldn't hurt the face of the two people he loved.

At the battlegrounds, they all heard the missile start its launch. Kushinada laughed, saying it was their victory. As Kenichi and the others saw it start to lift off, they heard the computers starting to beep.

"Error. Error. Missile detonation sequence unstable. Detonation imiment."

"OH SHIT!" shouted Niijima, "We're gonna die!"

"Kenichi!" shouted Miu.

"Miu!" shouted Kenichi in reply, knowing this would be their last moments. They dropped the honorifics to address each other as lovers before the inevitable would happen.

"Noo! I have too much to live for!" cried Niijima. Shigure quickly threw Niijima to where Miu and Kenichi were, knowing it was too late to do anything. The missile suddenly exploded in front of them.

Everything suddenly seemed to slow down for all of them. Shigure stood in front of the three teenagers, completely nude, knowing it was hopeless but hoped to at least buy them even a second of time to live so Miu and Kenichi could have their moment. Saiga seemingly appeared next to her, acting as a human shield too. Lastly, the elder Furinji, Furinji Hayato, appeared before them all to block it. He knew, even with all his "super" human powers, there was nothing he could do except use his body as a shield to give his granddaughter a bit more time. He couldn't toss them to safety, and Niijima would most likely die from the high Gs, and Kenichi was too injured. If the missile hadn't prematurely detonated, then he had confidence he could've stopped it easily. He himself could've escaped, but it wasn't worth living if all his friends and granddaughter died.

"Looks like we'll be seeing our family," sighed Hayato as the flames approached them.

"Sorry about this, dad," apologized Saiga, "I might not go to the same place as you guys."

"It's okay, son," smiled Hayato.

"Noo. Niijima secret technique! Alien Barrier!"

With all his willpower and special 'powers', Niijima managed to erect a barrier around himself, Miu, and Kenichi. He had used this once while the elder Furinji had been flaunting his ki back in the Desperate Fight of Disciples to protect himself.

The explosion reached the three masters, where they were forced to see their bodies incinerated before their own eyes. The explosion kept going, cruelly burning and killing anyone within range. The group of disciples fighting at the forests were killed before they could react. The masters themselves decided to allow the flames to consume them, as they had failed and couldn't escape.

"It's not what I thought it would be, but this works," smiled Kushinada as the flames enveloped her too.

The allied soldiers of Ryozanpaku could do nothing but helplessly let the explosion and fire wash over them, incinerating them all.

* * *

"How is this working!?" shouted Kenichi as he saw the barrier somehow hold.

"Hehehe, it's the Niijima ultimate technique," grinned Niijima, although he wasn't quite sure how he was doing such a thing. He also wasn't sure if the barrier protected them from the radiation of the missile. Unfortunately, he saw his barrier cracking, and knew it was over.

"Kenichi..."

"Miu..."

Knowing they had but mere moments, they came together for a passionate kiss on the lips before the end.

Suddenly, a wormhole appeared at where the crack of Niijima's barrier was, and sucked all three teenagers into it.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING!" shouted Kenichi as they were whirling around space. Everything was pitch dark, lightning streaked all around them. A fierce wind was blowing across all of them.

"I DON'T KNOW?! I THINK THE SHIELD MET WITH FIRE AND RADIATION CAUSED A WORMHOLE!" theorized Niijima.

"HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK!" cried out Kenichi.

"HOLD HANDS AND STICK TOGETHER!" shouted Miu as she managed to grab Kenichi's hand before throwing a hook to Niijima, pulling him close.

"Miu, your clothes!" shouted Kenichi, just noticing something wrong. He was stark naked as they were whirling through this space. Niijima was also naked, as was Miu, revealing her breasts and perky pink nipples.

"Kyaa! Don't look!" screamed Miu in embarrassment, but she didn't let go. It was too important that they stick together. Though she was thankful due to all this spinning, they couldn't see other private parts. But she did get a good glance at Kenichi's manhood and blushed.

As they were all spinning in the space full of darkness, winds, and lighting, they felt something forcing them apart. They tried as hard as they could to keep their hands linked, but it was useless. They could feel like a force of nature was pulling them all apart.

"Kenichi!" cried Miu one last time.

"Miu! I promise I'll find you. I'll always be with you! I... love you! I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to protect you. I'll always love you!" shouted Kenichi.

"I know you will! I'll find you, too! I'll always love you!" smiled Miu before Kenichi and Niijima were forced to let her go. She disappeared into a flash of light.

"Niijima, hold on!" shouted Kenichi as he felt Niijima's grip starting to fail.

"I still have so much to do!" wailed Niijima, "But it looks like our time is up! I'll be sure to find you guys somehow! You're vital to part of my path for my ambitions!"

With that last statement, Niijima and Kenichi separated before disappearing in a flash of light, leaving Kenichi alone.

"Everyone...," cried Kenichi, "I'm sorry. I don't want to be alone."

Then, there was a flash of light as Kenichi's body disappeared from the void.

* * *

"Everyone!"

Kenichi suddenly sat up on his bed, completely soaked with sweat. He blinked as he tried to figure out what was going on. His body felt weak, his legs didn't reach the edge of his sheets. He blinked as he looked down at his hands to find out they were smooth. Kenichi tossed the blanket aside to see his body that his masters took such painstakingly careful to build his body full of pink muscles... gone. He noticed outside his window, it was dark, signifying it was night time right now. He looked around and noticed that he wasn't in his futon back in Ryozanpaku, but rather his bed back at home. And there weren't as many manual books around him. Kenichi touched his face, pinching to see if this was real. It was.

"What the hell is going on!?" shouted Kenichi, noticing his voice also much higher.

"Son, what's wrong! Is it a monster? I have Maximillian with me!"

Kenichi's father, Mototsuga Shirihama, burst through the door, pointing his shotgun throughout the room, looking for the threat. He was a tall middle-aged man with short dark blue hair and a fairly lean figure.

"Dear, don't wave your shotgun like that!"

Kenichi's mother, Saori Shirihama, entered the room and smacked her husband on the head with a newspaper. She was a fairly tall and attractive woman with straight brown hair, fair skinned, curvaceous figure and sizable bust. Her hair was styled the way Kenichi always saw her. She was five years younger than her husband, but she still loved him very much. Even at her age, she looked younger than she appeared.

"Onii-chan, are you alright?"

Honoka Shirahama, Kenichi's little sister, appeared, rubbing her eyes as she had been woken up by Kenichi's shout. She had inherited her mother's hair, as did Kenichi, and could be counted as very cute for her age.

Kenichi noticed that they all seemed younger than he last remembered them all. Especially Honaka.

"Son? Are you all right?"

Kenichi blinked as he got out of his trance to see his father and mother looking at him with concern.

"Just a nightmare," replied Kenichi, shaking his head before and tried to grab his cellphone that he usually put beside him.

It wasn't there.

"Umm, dad, weird question, but what's the date today?"

"Why son, it's September 22, 1992. What a funny question."

Kenichi blinked a few times before fainting back onto his bed. As his sight blacked out, inside his mind, he screamed, ' **WHAT'S GOING ON!?** '

"Kenichi, it's time to wake up. It's time for school"

Kenichi slowly opened his eyes to see his mother shaking him awake. He got up and ran towards the bathroom and faced the mirror. What he imagined wasn't a lie. He was actually seven years old again.

'Does that mean everything that happened before was just a dream?' thought Kenichi. It certainly was out of this world to have such martial artists that could break down steel doors with their fists. As he quickly brushed his teeth and got ready for school, he saw the Yin-Yang pin that he always kept.

"No! I refuse to believe that was all just a dream. I don't know when or how, but I will find you again, Miu," declared Kenichi before heading off to elementary school.

Of course, all the subjects were somewhat easy for him, which reinforced the idea that he truly had traveled back in time somehow. As he was a second grader, he allowed his mind to wander for a bit to plan out what to do.

"Definitely get into shape," mused Kenichi, "Even with the masters' help of reconstructing my body, they had to deal with a weak body in the first place. Maybe if I had a better base to work with, then I could get stronger and protect Miu, instead of always being protected. But how to make it so I don't screw up? Maybe a jog every day will help out. Then-"

"Shirihama!" shouted the teacher, snapping Kenichi out of his thoughts, "I appreciate if you didn't daydream! You're not doing that well in math that you can just daydream! As punishment, come up and solve this problem!"

Kenichi took a look at the problem, which was 60-34+21*8. He went up to the blackboard, calculating it in his head, and quickly wrote out the answer 194.

"Hmph. Lucky guess. Show your work," demanded the teacher, unable to believe Kenichi knew the answer. When Kenichi showed his work properly, the teacher paused for a second to stare at Kenichi.

"Correct... I guess you've been studying."

Kenichi sighed and went back down to his paper, trying to plan out how he would go at this. Classes went by fast, and everything was basically review for Kenichi.

"Perhaps I'll do better in school, too," said Kenichi as he leaned back on his chair during lunch, "But in the end, I still need to head to Koryo High School, even if I get accepted to a better one. To meet up with Miu and the others... and unfortunately, also Haruo Niijima. My best/horrible friend. I need to head over to Ryozanpaku as soon as possible!"

When the school ended, Kenichi managed to beg his mother to take him to Ryozanpaku.

"Kenichi, honey, why do you need to go to this place?" asked Saori as he held his hands, along with Honoka.

"It's important," said Kenichi as he led her, almost running towards it. He wanted to see them all again. When they turned the corner, though, his heart fell. For there was no Ryozanpaku. It was just an empty patch of land.

"Kenichi? Why did you bring me here?" asked Saori.

"Sorry mom," said Kenichi with a fake grin, "I guess I took the wrong turn."

That night, Kenichi cried into his bed, hoping that all those memories he had weren't fake. After he finished crying, he soon made his resolve to train his body for the upcoming future.

"I swear, I'll get stronger," declared Kenichi as he looked out to the stars, "I'll be able to protect you, Miu! I will make my body stronger before I join Ryozanpaku again. I know it isn't fake. I just know you're out there, Miu."

* * *

Soon, the months passed as Kenichi trained in his room in secret. He found out that ever since he learned Ki no Shouka, or rather 'Holding' of Ki, back when he fought against Kajima, he still retained on how to use it, though his Ki was very weak, as he was still in his childish weak body. All his mental functions and muscle memory were still there, just his body was unable to support it.

"Have to be careful while trying to master my Ki," grunted Kenichi as he began his push-ups. In crafting class at his elementary school, he was able to make some makeshift weights for himself. "If a stray Martial Arts master, or even Yami, find a kid that can utilize Ki that supposedly only Grand Masters are supposed to be able to, they might just kidnap me and force them to be their disciple. Have to find a private place soon."

Soon enough, Kenichi was entering the third grade with distinct honors in his grades. His parents so proud of him that they increased his allowance, allowing him to buy some more exercise equipment. Not to mention, he seemed to be a bit more popular in school now. His father had gone full-out out lecture on how proud he was of him, and how his future seemed bright. It was only thanks to his mother that the lecture was cut short. However, he kept quiet to himself and tried his best not to draw attention. As he was watering the plants one day, he heard about a new student transferring in.

"Did you hear? The new student is weird."

"Yea, he has pointy ears and some weird looking antenna on his head."

"He looks like an alien!"

Kenichi paused at this. Could it be Niijima? But that couldn't be! He didn't meet him until middle school! Suddenly, he saw a shadow looming over him. Reacting quickly, Kenichi jumped away just in time to hear a foot stomp, followed by the shadow pounding his chest with his left hand. He then brought his left hand forward, looping once in the air before putting his hand forward.

"Shinpaku!"

Silence fell in between the two boys, along with small choju giga animals of a frog, monkey, and bunny dragging dots behind them. Kenichi could slowly look up to see an 8-year-old Niijima posing in the Shinpaku salute that he had made up when they were still 17.

"Niijima?" asked Kenichi in disbelief.

"Yo, Kenichi," grinned Niijima before cackling, "Ready to join the Shinpaku group and bring it to new heights?"

Kenichi instinctively punched him in the stomach, causing Niijima to groan in pain.

"Ah, sorry!" apologized Kenichi, "That was instinctive, trying to see if this was real!"

"Guess I should be glad you're not back at full power," groaned Niijima, "Though it does seem you've been working out."

"Yea, I figured I might as well start now," said Kenichi, "When did come back?"

"September 22, 1992. You?"

"Same. I've been training since, but I don't have a place to train privately. I'm afraid that since I've learned Ki no Shouka, any random master class martial arts that passes by while I'm training will take me as their own without giving me a chance to say no. Especially Yami."

"Hehehe, that's why you have me. Follow me."

Niijima turned around to leave the school, only to be pulled back by Kenichi.

"After school," hissed Kenichi, "We leave now, we'll get in trouble."

"Kekekeke, You're a 'genius', or did you think I didn't know? You're using your knowledge to make yourself look good!" laughed Niijima, "They won't mind if two of the brightest students take a day off!"

"I'm still not letting you ditch school, nor will you make me!"

The school was then treated to the sight of one of the smartest students in class dragging the transfer student to class.

* * *

"Where are we going?" huffed Kenichi as Niijima dragged him through some alleys and holes that seemed to have been suspiciously constructed recently. As soon as the school day was over, and Niijima managed to drag Kenichi with him.

"Keke, you didn't think I was just being a 'smart' student when I came back?' laughed Niijima before pulling a hidden lever to reveal a wall sliding open to reveal a corridor.

Raising an eyebrow, Kenichi followed Niijima, who closed the door behind them and walked forward to see a fully equipped gym, along with steel plated walls.

"Umm, how?" asked a flabbergasted Kenichi.

"Kekeke, I used my future knowledge and invested in some good stocks, made a few bets I knew I would win, and suddenly I have a good amount of funds for the Shinpaku Alliance!"

"You mean you gambled!?"

"How else would I get the funds? Don't worry, it was perfectly legal, under my father's name. This base is just temporary until we can get Kisara's base again, but perfect for you to train at without grabbing attention!"

Kenichi had mixed feelings about this, but he had to admit his evil friend raised a good point. He could get some better training in here without worry. As he browsed through the room, he found books written by Akisame Koetsuji himself. He flipped through them to discover that they had detailed explanations of pink muscles, but not exactly how to train his body to create it.

"I managed to find some of his writings," admitted Niijima as he looked over from the computer he had bought and modified with his funds, "Thought you might like them."

"It'll help me build up a base," replied Kenichi before heading over to the treadmill and began jogging after placing several weights around his body before putting the treadmill at the highest speed he could manage for now. Kenichi could finally push himself without worry of being detected, though he would need to invest in some long sleeved and loose clothing to hide his muscles like Taninmoto did. Speaking of which...

"Hey Niijima-san? Natsu's sister died because she wasn't treated, right? Any way we can find them and push them towards Ryozanpaku to see a real doctor? And what about Tsutomu Tanaka! We can use this chance so to save him, his wife, and unborn child! Maybe even Sho's! And so many others!"

"That's risky," replied Niijima, "We risk altering the timeline that we know, making the future knowledge we have useless."

"What about you?" accused Kenichi, "You're already doing that, transferring to my school, getting all this stuff ready. And what about Miu! If you made it, then she probably made it too! We should head to Ryozanpaku to see if it's there! I know it should be! I went last time, but there was nothing. Maybe I went too early when they didn't make it yet!"

"Whoa there," said Niijima, putting his hands forward, stopping Kenichi in his tracks as he tried to rush out, "I admit, I did some changes, but not enough to warrant a huge change in the time stream. Plus, you go there now, who's to say they'll believe you? Not to mention you're not as cunning as me."

"Miu will believe me!"

"Yes, but I don't know if your masters will. They might dismiss it as just a dream."

"They wouldn't!"

"Fine, maybe not, but I doubt the Elder would let you date Miu, when you failed your promise."

Kenichi froze for a bit before glaring at Niijima, "Low blow, there."

"Fine, fine, but it stopped you," waved off Niijima, "But the most important thing is that you'll attract unwanted attention. If Yami finds out Ryozanpaku took another disciple, then the events might play out even earlier! Team Shinpaku can't be prepared that fast! Our core fighters aren't old enough. You're not old enough, and they might kidnap you! In fact, I'm kind of glad you didn't find it the first time!"

Kenichi continued to glare and Niijima before sighing, walking over to the punching bag before taking his frustrations out on it. Nijima wiped off the sweat he didn't even notice pouring down his head before grabbing a towel to wipe it off. The next few hours passed with Kenichi kicking the bag as hard as he could while Niijima was trying to set up his station. He missed having his PDA, but they had not been invented yet at this time.

"Then what can we do?" asked Kenichi after he got tired of beating the punching bag and started on some push-ups.

"Well, I've been giving Taninmoto's case some thought," replied Niijima, "If we do this right, we can prod your two masters to Taninmoto and his sister. Though we'll have to do this carefully, and we can't be seen. He's already been adopted, and from what I remember, his sister died when he was nine. We're still eight, so that means we have at least a year, so we have time. Ryozanpaku should be up by then. As for Tsutomu's case... I don't have a plan for that. He was three years older than us, so he should be 11. Plenty of time to plan and figure that out, as I believe he had a shotgun wedding at 18. But Kenichi, even though we've been given another chance, we can't fix everything and save everyone."

Grunting in reply that they could do something at least, the two of them kept silent for the next hour.

* * *

They left their secret base and headed back to Kenichi's home. Niijima had already told his mother he'd be home late. Kenichi's mood was still miserable. What was the point of being able to time travel if they couldn't save everyone!? They were walking when Kenichi noticed someone leaning on the gate that lead to his house. It was an eight-year-old girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Miu?" gasped Kenichi when he saw the girl. The girl turned to Kenichi, allowing them to see her face. It was indeed the Miu Furinji that they knew.

"Kenichi...," said Miu slowly before starting to run to him.

"Miu!" shouted Kenichi, running towards her now.

"Kenichi!"

"Miu!"

The two of the crashed into each other and hugged tightly. They had tears in their eyes as they hugged each other, never wanting to let the other go.

"You came back with us," whispered Kenichi as tears streamed down his face, "You're really here. I was so scared that you wouldn't remember me. I went to where Ryozanpaku was when I returned to 1992 just to find an empty patch of land."

"Sorry it took me so long," replied Miu, not letting Kenichi go, "When I woke up, I was still traveling the world with grandfather. It was only recently we settled in. Grampa didn't purchase the land until 1993."

"Does he know?" asked Niijima, joining in the conversation.

Miu shook her head, "I didn't tell him. I didn't know if it was a dream or not. Nor did I tell any of the other masters."

"Good, then this is still salvageable," declared Niijima.

"Why not let them know now?" asked Miu, "They could help us! They could use the extra time to train Kenichi and me!"

"We do that, we risk altering the timeline that we know," said Niijima softly, "Meaning all the future knowledge will be useless. Can you ensure that while your training, Yami won't use this knowledge that Ryozanpaku has an official disciple to accelerate their plans?"

"We could do it in secret," countered Miu.

"Miu... sorry to say, but Ryozanpaku isn't exactly well-funded. I've heard about all those times you almost had to declare bankruptcy. Yami has money. They can easily spy on you, and sooner or later, it'll be revealed," sighed Niijima.

"I don't like it either, but I Niijima is right," sighed Kenichi, "Luckily, I can at least train in private. Niijima managed to make a small gym for me with the funds that he got."

"Money?" gasped Miu, her eyes shining at it.

Niijima and Kenichi facepalmed, forgetting about the fact although a bit poor, she always tried to save or earn money for Ryozanpaku, gaining a 'money' sense so to speak.

"Can you hook us up with something?" asked Miu, "Something that'll help Ryozanpaku run smoothly without chance of bankruptcy?"

"Maybe," grinned Niijima, but before he could say anything, Kenichi stopped him.

"If it involves some sort of evil plan, then no way," glared Kenichi, "I know that grin."

"Tch, fine," scoffed Niijima, "I have some I guess. You guys could also hold that program I told you once. Teach some kids how to fight for a week. Do it twice a year or something. I'll think of some more later on."

"Can you stay for dinner?" asked Kenichi.

Miu shook her head, "I snuck out here. I have to go back, otherwise, I might arouse suspicion."

Slowly but surely, the couple let go of each other.

"I promise I'll see you again soon," whispered Miu, "I remember grandpa taking me overseas a few more times. I don't think I'll be able to hide the fact I can control my Dou Ki now, along with the fact I have some Supreme Silat mixed in with my moves now."

"Just do your best," said Kenichi before giving her a kiss to her forehead, "I'll be waiting for you to come back."

Miu nodded her head before giving Kenichi a kiss to the cheek before running back home.

"You prepared?" asked Niijima.

"I'll make sure the Eternal Setting Sun won't happen this time," said Kenichi confidently, "There's a lot of work to do. Niijima, I'll need your help with some of my training."

"Of course," nodded Niijima before mentally adding, 'You're my most valuable piece to conquering this world!'

"Niijima, I can read your face. You're thinking of the world again," sighed Kenichi before slamming the door shut.

* * *

A year passed by in a flash for them. Miu was able to come and visit their secret base and sparred with Kenichi to make sure he didn't rust from the lack of fighting. Kenichi was actively trying to avoid gaining the reputation of being strong, as he did not want to fight delinquents. Niijima bought up a plan for Kenichi to be picked on again in middle school, but both Miu and Kenichi vetoed that plan. Kenichi had no interest in being beaten up again, and Miu said that there was always a chance that Kenichi might be forced to reveal his real strength. In the end, Kenichi would just run away. He was fast enough.

"Hey Niijima," said Kenichi one day as he built up his Seikuken to fight against Miu's attacks. So far, the elder didn't seem to have figured out that Miu could control her Dou Ki, but Miu had a distinct feeling he knew, but just wasn't saying anything.

"While we're waiting for the time to strike, do you want me to teach you how to fight a little?"

Niijima, who had been carrying some boxes, dropped it in shock.

"Hell no!" screeched Niijima, "I'm the last person to step into battle! I don't want to be targeted!"

"Kenichi has a point, though," said Miu as she threw a flurry of punches before managing to break the Seikuken with a well-timed kick, "Without formal training, for some reason, you're able to run as fast as most of the people in the disciple group. Just think about at least getting some self-defense lessons in."

Niijima thought about it for a bit before telling them that he wouldn't mind a little, but no way in hell he was going to fight. He was a thinker, planner, and leader, not a fighter.

"Did you finish the plan for Natsu's sister?" asked Kenichi as he dodged blocked Miu's kick and countered with a kick of his own.

"Yea. Right now, Taninmoto should be getting a little mail that tells him to seek a certain miracle doctor," replied Niijima, "He should be taking her to see Koetsuji."

"I've made sure he is at his office today," commented Miu, "He'll be able to see his little sister and perhaps give her treatment before it's too late."

'Right, and with this favor, the Taninmoto corporation will be under my spell!' thought Niijima as he began checking a few of his sources. The PDA was finally announced to be released next year, and he couldn't wait to get his hands on one. It would make his life easier, being able to organize information without shuffling through papers and keeping it with him.

 _A few weeks later_

"Hmm," hummed Niijima, "Wonder how this'll affect Taninmoto."

Natsu had taken his little sister Kaede to see another doctor instead of Koetsuji, as he didn't trust him. But the verdict was still the same. Kaede's health had been deteriorating, Luckily, Natsu had taken her to another world renown doctor who promised to nurse Kaede back to health. Before Natsu could tell his stepfather about their new mother's treachery, he died due to unknown causes. Because the mother had failed to even give treatment to Kaede and falsified documents, she was the prime suspect and was taken away. Niijima had dug in a little deeper and found out the woman was a con artist with no medical training.

Of course, their troubles didn't end there. Natsu had to deal with employees stealing from Taninmoto Conglomerate. His and Kaede's life was constantly threatened. But from what he could tell, the time still followed the same for Natsu. Isshinsai Ogata saved Natsu from a full out coup. From his sources, he saw that Natsu still did the same thing as he did in the past, as his life had been hardened from all the lies. Only time could tell what would happen to him as his sister might soften his nature.

The years passed on as the trio grew older. Miu came and went whenever she had time to. It was only when they were thirteen did the elder finally feel it was safe to leave Miu at Ryozanpaku when he had to leave. All the masters Kenichi had learned from were now present at Ryozanpaku, but Niijima still warned them not to expose themselves so easily. They had just started their middle school, though Miu was still in a different school than them. She desperately wanted to join them for the middle school year, but Niijima used his special ability, Niijima brainwashing, to convince Miu to attend a different school.

"Argg, I wish I didn't listen to Niijima!" cried Miu as she helped Kenichi stretch out a bit.

Kenichi was thankful Miu was here to help out making sure his flexibility was up to par, although he had to admit, he liked the benefits of Miu pushing her developing breasts into his back. Miu was too stressed to notice what she was doing as she helped Kenichi.

"It's only 3 more years," said Kenichi softly, "Then we'll be able to see each other. No more having our dates in secrets."

"I still want to go to that Neko cafe where they serve anmitsu with you sometime," pouted Miu.

"I know you do," smiled Kenichi as he stood up along with Miu. They began to spar once more, this time Miu slowly unleashing her Dou Ki more and more. Kenichi was using Ryuusei Seikuken to fight against her fierce attacks. Niijima was still looking up some information and relaxing when they heard someone knocking on the door at the corridor. They all froze at this sound.

"Niijima, I thought you said nobody knew this place!" hissed Kenichi.

"Nobody should!" hissed Niijima back, "Were you guys followed?"

"Not me," replied Kenichi.

"I don't think I was," said Miu, "Though it's hard to tell as grandfather can be sneaky."

"Maybe if we just-"

Niijima was about to suggest being quite when the door was pried open, and a sound of someone running through quickly. With a woosh sound, in front of them all, was Hayato Furiniji, the elder, looking at them.

"Mind explaining to me what this is all about?" asked the Elder with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

'Oh crap,' thought all three.

* * *

 **And the Elder finds out! What will he do? Let's face it, it's very unlikely Miu would be able to hide it from him for very long. Especially with her Dou ki drastically changing from being unable to control it to making good progress.**

 **Pairing obviously Kenichi x Miu. Other pairings are still up in the air but most likely Ukitake x Kisara.**

 **Obviously Niijima would be the perfect choice to be able to start his plans of world domination with all this future knowledge hahaha.**

 **Thanks for reading, and review! I'll try to update this as often as I can, but no set schedule for it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Looks like I'm off to a good start! Over 1k view and over 100 fav/follows! Thanks to Third Fang for the shout out!**

 **Also, noticed how nobody ever made a Street FighterxKenichi crossover. I could actually see the potential in that haha!**

* * *

"Grandpa," said Miu nervously.

"Miu... explain," stated the Elder in a serious tone as he gazed around the room.

The strange boy he saw standing was frozen in the corner with a bunch of electronics. It looked like he was constructing his own computer. Quite talented for someone his age, in his opinion.

Then he glanced around the room to see it was well supplied. A complete gym to work on every possible muscle on the human body. A small refrigerator and microwave for snacks, along with a low table and several pillolw seats. A well-lit room, no windows, only ventilation shafts, and an ac unit to show they had no shortage of electricity. A few boxes full of items he didn't know.

A mat was right in the middle, where Miu and another boy was apparently sparring, and apparently, Miu hadn't been holding back. Then he looked at the boy at the mat and blinked in shock. Though the boy was doing his best to hide his ki, he could tell it was far beyond his age.

'A genius?' mused the Elder, 'Or someone pretending to be young.'

Yet his senses did not lie to him. This boy really was the same age as Miu. Speaking of Miu... when did she get such control over of Dou Ki? He had suspicions, but he hadn't realized she progressed this far.

"Umm... well..," hesitated Miu. trying to think of a lie. She didn't do well under pressure and especially against her grandfather.

Meanwhile, Kenichi and Niijima glanced at each other.

"What should we do?" asked Kenichi, using their Shinpaku hand signals.

"LIE OF COURSE!" fired back Niijima.

"Against the Elder? He can easily catch it."

"... I have no suggestions."

"... Bribery maybe?"

"Against him? What can you even bribe him with?"

"Remember the Choju Giga paintings I forced you to buy for me? The one that cost 200,000 yen? He's a huge fan."

"... You're kidding me."

"Nope. Jerk used his Shockwave of Forgetfulness on me to forget. I only remembered recently after Miu nailed me with a kick to the head and into a textbook that had it during our spar."

"... The evil in you is certainly growing Kenichi! Good, good, the journey to the dark side is going well! Use that power and strike-"

Niijima didn't get to finish the handsigns as Kenichi angrily fired his shoe into his head.

"I'm waiting," growled the Elder.

Miu and Kenichi glanced at each other before nodding, deciding to tell the truth.

"It's a very long story Elder," sighed Kenichi, signaling him to sit down. Miu quickly sat next to him while the Elder slowly followed suit, though being very wary. Niijima quickly served them tea, though he took his special alien soda for himself, and placed a scroll next to him.

"So... then regale me of your tale, then," said the Elder, noticing how close Miu and Kenichi were sitting and disliking it very much. Then again, they were just kids, just twelve years old. Surely it didn't mean much.

"We're from the future, five years from now in the year 2002. We traveled back 10 years from that year, back to 1992."

That changed everything.

* * *

"So the Eternal Setting Sun Yami planned succeeded?" asked the Elder, rumbling in his thoughts as they finished their story. Niijima provided the abridged version of it while Miu and Kenichi filled in some blanks.

"Somewhat. The nuke was supposed to hit Japan," clarified Niijima, "I managed to stop it from remotely launching. Unfortunately, Yami had a backup plan and had it manually launched it. However, it prematurely detonated before anyone could do anything."

"And you three traveled back in time... by Niijima-kun's shield?" inquired the Elder, raising his eyebrow at this.

"Hard to believe, but that's all we got," groaned Kenichi, "Wasn't easy trying to tell myself that the future wasn't something I just dreamed about."

Tears were starting to form in his eyes as his fist clenched, causing Miu to grab his hand and slowly pat his back to calm him down. The Elder had to stop himself from physically separating them. He could see the pain in all three of their eyes when Kenichi mentioned the pain of thinking the future was something they just imagined.

It was difficult to believe of time-travel, but so far, it was the only real explanation why Miu's control Dou Ki had skyrocketed. Not to mention, he did notice hints of Pencak Silat in Miu's fighting style, one that he had never taught. She tried to hide it, but he could see it incorporated into her moves. He growled as he learned Jenazad, a man he once called a friend, had kidnapped Miu and brainwashed her. It was only thanks to Kenichi and others that she was saved from falling in the way of the Satsujinken. His only son had already done so, or so he thought. Speaking of his son...

"So... you've met... or will meet... your father," stated the Elder calmly to Miu.

"Yes," nodded Miu.

The Elder pondered for a bit while sipping on his tea for a bit to buy himself some time. For so long, he thought his only son, Saiga Fuurinji, had descended into madness when he heard rumors of him killing others. He dismissed them as mere rumors at first, as he and his son both followed the way of Katsujinken. However, the rumors began to spread, and doubt began to bloom in his mind. When he finally heard that he had joined Yami, he was forced to admit that the rumors might have some truth in them. The Elder had not seen his son in years after his wedding with Shizuha.

All of a sudden, during a sunny day, he received a letter from his daughter-in-law about danger nearing the family and that Saiga was falling into the path of Satsujinken. He dropped whatever he was doing and ran towards the location indicated in the letter. He broke through speed limits, though he was unsure whether that applied to him or only vehicles, broke through customs and borders without checking in through the proper channels, and he was pretty sure he might've caused a car to crash into a building when they got distracted and decided to gape at a man who was over two meters tall somehow running faster than their car. The Elder didn't feel too guilty about that as the distracted party was actually bank robbers trying to flee from the cops, pushing their car to its limits, and he ran past them.

By the time he arrived, though, he was too late. His son was nowhere to be seen, his daughter-in-law dead, and his beloved granddaughter Miu hiding in the snow. He never got the full story but guessed that his son had finally fallen into darkness far beyond saving.

Now, he was finally getting the true story. That Senzui was the one behind all the attacks and murders. That Senzui had disguised himself as Saiga and used his face to spread all those rumors. And that he was the one who killed Shizuha. He knew he should've questioned it, but he was too distraught and busy with Miu. He was his own son! There was no way that he would fall that easily, nor murder his own wife! This revelation would take some time to sink into his mind. True, his son was affiliated with Yami, but not too deeply. In fact, it was possible he was acting as a spy for the government.

"Grandfather... are you alright?" asked Miu.

"No... I'm much better than before," confessed the Elder, "For too long, I lost faith in my own son. Now I finally have the truth, I can finally tell you more about your father without feeling ashamed. I've avoided the topic for too long, skimping on the details. Akisame can also give you some more insight, considering the two were best friends."

Miu didn't say anything but rather chose to hug her grandfather in a tight hug. the Elder had never gone much into detail about her father, only telling her about her mother.

"Alright, I'm convinced that that Miu is telling the truth," said the Elder as he patted Miu on the head, "However, I'm not sure I'm fully convinced about you two."

"Elder, if you would just come this way for a bit so we can talk in private?" asked Kenichi while bringing a fruity anmitsu to distract Miu. It worked as she began to dig into it while the Elder gave it a glance as if wanting one himself.

"So what is it?" queried the Elder as they were away from Miu.

"This may be hard to take in but in the future Miu and I... were..."

Niijima saw Kenichi hesitating and decided to rip the band-aid off, so to speak.

"The two of them are dating... will be dating... arg this future and past thing is confusing. In short, the two are going out."

The Elder was silent for a moment before his Ki flared out. The two boys were almost knocked unconscious if it hadn't been for the fact that both had experienced Ki flares from Advanced Grand Masters before. Niijima promptly threw up his Niijima barrier while Kenichi raised his Ki to shield himself. It was then that the Elder was shocked to see Kenichi's Ki was already at Ki no Shouka, though it was still rather unstable. Still, the fact that Kenichi could already do so was amazing.

"Grandfather! You're ruining my Anmitsu!" snapped Miu in complaint, not noticing several birds were falling unconscious outside the windows.

"Sorry!" apologized the Elder, and Miu went back into dreamworld with her dessert, not even noticing that the Elder had flared his Ki. The dessert she was eating was designed to look like her cat, which made her savor her food longer, going deeply into a trance.

"I know it's unbelievable, but you actually allowed me to date her," whispered Kenichi, "And her father even approves."

"Whether my future counterpart agreed or not doesn't matter," snapped the Elder, "I still haven't given permission, and so far, you haven't proven much to me. I am a little shocked at the level of Ki you can control, but that's a different matter."

"Then how can I prove to you I am willing to protect Miu?" said Kenichi as he gritted his teeth.

The Elder stroked his beard for a bit before giving a grin that would frighten most Master level, classes. Needless to say, Kenichi and Niijima didn't like that grin.

"By sparring with me!" declared the Elder.

Kenichi was ready to just jump out a window screaming.

* * *

The Elder managed to sneak all three of them into Ryozanpaku without being detected and into a familiar cave at the back garden, where the entrance was under a giant tree. It was where Kenichi had trained in complete darkness for three days with iron balls hanging from the ceiling. Luckily, Akisame and Kensei were at their respective clinics for the day, Sakaki was out on his bodyguard business, Shigure on her sword hunt, and Apachai... was very focused on feeding the ants in the yard.

"We can fight here with you fighting at full strength," stated the Elder as he walked further in before turning around to face them after they had cleared out the iron balls, "Face me with everything you have. I'll use 0.00005% of my power."

'Crap does he really hold a grudge!?' thought Kenichi as the Elder started to flare his ki. His first thought was to panic and flee. He nearly acted on that impulse and took one step back before remembering his promise. That he would get stronger so he could protect Miu. His promise to himself and to Sho. To protect her from the darkness that was Yami.

Kenichi took a deep breath before stepping forward, getting into a fighting stance while releasing all restraints on his ki.

"I'll fight too!" declared Miu as she stepped forward, releasing her Dou ki and invigorating her spirit to its highest point.

"Hoo then perhaps I'll bump it up to 0.0001%," grinned the Elder as he took in the sight of the two raising their spirits to spar against him. Kenichi was already reducing his Seikuken zone to form Ryusui Seikuken.

"Kenichi, let's go!" said Miu as she jumped forward to hit high.

"Roger!" replied Kenichi as he charged forward to hit low.

 _ **Fuurinji Benikawsemi**_

 _ **Mubyoshi**_

 _10 minutes later_

"Owww," groaned Kenichi as he pulled himself from a wall. There were quite a few of them, all of them roughly his shape. There were also a few of them with Miu's shape, but not as many as his.

"Grandpa... did you really have to be that harsh?" groaned Miu as she rubbed her shoulder, trying to ease the pain from being hit there.

"I was going at 0.0001%," stated the Elder, "Though you two actually managed to land a hit on me, even with my eyes closed. "

"Liar," whined Kenichi, "You were going a bit higher than that. I know because I was forced to spar against you at 0.0001% in the future. You were stronger and faster by a bit."

"We've also fought you at 0.0002%," added Miu, "You were below that, but barely."

the Elder sweatdropped and whistled innocently as the two disciples managed to pick themselves up once more. Truthfully, he was forced to crank it up to 0.00015% with his eyes closed. Alone, 0.00005% of his true power was enough to handle them individually, though he was sure they would still be able to land a hit. However, with their teamwork, they forced him to go higher less he take an actual hit. It wouldn't hurt him, but that wasn't the point.

The two of them had told him that they were High-Class Disciples before the whole business, and he could definitely see that. Right now, they had just broken the between Middle-Class Disciple and High-Class Disciple. They would be higher up on the ladder if it wasn't for their current age and muscles, as they were still growing. He was sure when they hit high school once more, they would be cracking at the boundary of the Expert Class near the end of their first semester. Maybe even sooner.

"I can see that my future self taught you some of my techniques," commented the Elder to Kenichi.

"Yea, a bit. Now that I think of it, is this a safe place for me to practice my Ki no Shouka? I can't really risk practicing at our secret base or at home, and it's not very stable. I can knead the ki and hold it a bit, but I can't apply it very well yet even though I know how to do it."

"I could tell," said the Elder dryly, "Hmm it should be. It's deep in the caves so nobody should sense it. Not to mention that even if any outsiders do, they'll just think its one of the masters practicing. But from what Niijima tells me, you don't plan to officially join Ryozanpaku until later. I cannot just let you borrow this area if you're not part of the dojo."

"Grandpa, can't you just bend the rules a bit?" begged Miu.

"Well...," mumbled the Elder, unable to really refuse his granddaughter.

If the future really was as dark as they said, then they would need training as soon as possible. He would've preferred to teach Kenichi earlier in his age, but Niijima's explanation wasn't wrong either. Start training too early with them, and Yami might accelerate their plans. So far, they were under the radar, but they couldn't afford to stay under it too long.

"How about officially joining Ryozanpaku at the second semester of the third year in middle school?" offered the Elder as an alternative, "If we do this right, Yami won't know until Ogata reports to Yami about Ryozanpaku training a disciple roughly around the same timeline as last time."

"Could work," mumbled Niijima, who had put his Niijima barrier at full power while they were sparring, "But it might be better if he just trained here in the cave until he officially hits high school before going to the main hall."

"In that case, I'll take Kenichi as my personal disciple for the while!" proclaimed the Elder.

While Miu was happy about this, Kenichi had very mixed feelings. He was happy to get training from the Elder while being close to Miu and getting stronger, but it would mean he would be watching them much closer now. According to the Fuurinji rules of dating, they were only allowed to hold hands with very little cuddling. Kissing on the cheek wasn't even allowed. And the worst part was Kenichi knew the Elder's training was the worst compared to all his other masters. Even Apachai, who did not know the meaning of restraint, was better than his. His brain was screaming to run away, but his heart and soul knew what he had to do.

He would accept the offer and grow stronger to protect Miu from the future dangers.

* * *

The Elder was walking Kenichi and Niijima home after dropping Miu back home. It was during this time the two boys nodded to each other and made their request.

"What is it, Ken-chan?" asked the Elder as he noticed the distinct change in the air.

"Elder, what do you know about Tsutomu Tanaka?" questioned Kenichi.

"Hmm? He's a disciple of the Tenchi Mushin Ryuu. Why do you ask?"

"We need you to help save him and his future wife from Ogata Isshinsai."

"... Explain. You didn't mention this earlier."

"It wasn't as important," admitted Niijima, "But Kenichi is set on saving their lives."

Kenichi quickly went to explain what happened to Tanaka and the Tenchi Mushin Ryuu from what he heard.

"Hmm, his wife... I believe that could be Mayu Midou, Kai Midou's daughter. Tanaka and Mayu have been spending more time together."

"Ogata and Kai fought each other in a sanctioned match that they both agreed to," explained Kenichi swiftly, "I think it was to see who's version of Kazoe Nukite (Counted Overhand Stroke) that you taught was better. The result was that Ogata killed Kai, but what happened after is unclear. The only thing Tanaka even hinted was that Ogata killed Mayu right after, along with their unborn daughter."

The Elder had to take a deep breath to calm himself. He had personally taught Ogata and Kai the move and had come to regret teaching Ogata deeply pursued the path of Satsujinken despite his best efforts to dissuade him. Ogata wasn't an evil man and was likable to a degree outside of the martial arts world with his own sense of moral, but to hear him kill someone who hadn't been able to even choose chosen their path was troubling.

He had half a mind to hunt him down now but knew it would be useless. He would try to convince Kai not to do anything stupid or dangerous and try to live for his only daughter as his wife had passed away, but ultimately it was up to Kai's choice. He could not make the decisions for a grown man.

As for Mayu's death, he came to the conclusion Mayu attacked Ogata out of rage after seeing her only parent die. Ogata was most likely forced to defend himself and killed her, not knowing there was a child inside her. He had a suspicion that either Mayu forgot she was pregnant, or that the diagnosis that she was pregnant wasn't known until the autopsy was performed.

"And as an added incentive as well as a gesture of goodwill, we'll give you this!" grinned Niijima as he pulled out the scroll and gave it to the Elder.

The Elder raised his eyebrow and took the scroll and almost dropped it when he saw the label and price tag on it. He slowly and reverently opened it up, the in his imagination, the scroll lit up with each turn of the scroll. Choju Giga animals danced all around his head in celebration.

"How did you know?" gasped the Elder.

"You might've told me," answered Kenichi vaguely, not wanting to suffer the Shockwave of Forgetfulness anytime soon.

The Elder gently stashed the drawing into his robes, making sure to place the scroll in a safe spot, already marking where he would place this drawing.

"I would've done so without the scroll, but you have my word," stated the Elder, "I'll do my best. I'll still have a year and a half, according to your story."

"That's all we can ask for," said Kenichi as he bowed in appreciation.

* * *

The first year of middle school passed by quickly for the trio. Miu was dressed up as she had back the first time, with her hair braided and wearing glasses. She didn't want to attract unwanted attention, as her heart belonged to Kenichi only. Kenichi was purposely wearing long sleeves to hide his build, similar to how Tanimoto aka Hermit did. As for Kenichi and Niijima, they were continuing to get good grades in their classes. Kenichi decided to study a bit more and forced Niijima to go along with it.

There were quite a few bullies that tried to force the two to do their homework, though. Their response... was to run away really fast. None of them wanted to attract any attention from gangs, especially Ragnarok, or worse, Yomi. It was easy to run with their speed and Niijima's many secret passageways he had been making. Meanwhile, Niijima's empire was quickly expanding, thanks to his 'predictions'. Already he had his hands in several businesses, including the music industry in preparation for his most loyal servant, Hibiki Kugenin, aka Siegfried.

"I'm bored," sighed Kenichi during their second year in middle school as he read a "How to" book series. This one was about making sure how to survive your date's protective parents, but he was sure none of them had ever met someone like the Elder. Besides him was another book from the "In Case" series, this one relating on how to convince your boy/girlfriend's parents to accept you. He was currently on the rooftops relaxing while reading.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something important," pondered Kenichi as he started to do some crunches to help past the time. His mind wandered to friends that he would make in the future after Miu and Niijima. The first one was Takeda, the boxing pro. The roof reminded of the fight they had at the ceiling. A few seconds passed while a Choju Giga bunny trotted above his head. Kenichi snapped out of his trance and shot straight up, causing the imaginary bunny to scurry away. He couldn't believe he forgot about the injury that would disable Takeda for a good while! While not as life-threatening, it was still life changing!

"Niijima!" shouted Kenichi as he blazed through the school to find him. Several bullies tried to take advantage of this to stop and confront him, only for Kenichi to just forget he was hiding his abilities and weaved right past them. Luckily, this only made them think he was just a slippery bastard.

"Niijima!" shouted Kenichi once more as he opened a door to the computer lab to see him in there.

"What?" screeched Niijima in shock as he almost dropped the hard drive he was hacking into.

"Takeda! Left Arm! We can save it!" answered Kenichi quickly.

Niijima blinked before gently making Kenichi sit down. He quickly served Kenichi some tea while he drank his alien brand pop soda. A few moments passed in awkwardly as the imaginary Choju Giga animals made themselves known once more.

"Kenichi... I don't think we should intervene on that part," Niijima started slowly.

"Why!?" shouted Kenichi in anger.

"It was because of that fight against delinquents that pushed him into Ragnarok," explained Niijima, "If Takeda didn't get his left arm disabled, then he wouldn't have met us and gone on with his career in pro boxing with the same old coach he had, not James Shiba. He would be much weaker than before. Not only that, but he was forced to learn how to use his right arm to attack, being left-handed, and it helped him grow stronger, too. He wouldn't become our friend, and won't become one of Shinpaku's commanders. Would you really squash his potential to become stronger just because you wanted to save his arm."

Kenichi had to think for a bit before growling at Niijima, "You're trying to use your brainwashing on me aren't you?"

"Say what you will, but it's true, isn't it?" asked Niijima.

Kenichi could only sigh as he remembered his talk with Takeda in the old timeline. They had discussed what would've happened if he hadn't been forced to lose control of his left hand during their amusement park trip. Though Takeda had been initially mad, he told him he would've allowed the events to repeat itself if he had a choice as he made even truer friends and gotten much stronger than if he had continued training with his old friend and gym.

"I guess that's true," sighed Kenichi, "Here I was set to saving him the pain."

"That's why I'm here for," grinned Niijima, "To make sure you don't do anything that'll throw off the plan."

"Fine, but we get him to Koetsuji shi-sho as soon as we can," grumbled Kenichi as he left, slamming the door hard.

Niijima relaxed in his chair and wiped off the sweat that had built upon his forehead. To be fair, he had completely made up the reasons on the spot, but they were still accurate. No, the real reason why Niijima wanted Takeda to get his injury before heading to Akisame to heal and be trained by James Shiba was that Takeda would have a higher chance to win the world championship for light welterweights. If his company Shinpaku managed to finance and sponsor him, they would gain a fortune in return for all his wins. Not to mention it would make a great novel for Kenichi to write about a boxer who was thought to have lost his dream due to a crippling injury, only to make a miraculous recovery and win a title match in the WBA.

And why stop there, Takeda could possibly take all the light welterweight championships in the IBF, WBC, and WBO! And Kenichi said he didn't have a soul. He was giving his friend a chance to write a potential Naoki award-winning story and fulfilling his dream, wasn't he? Granted the pros were mostly for himself. Niijima cackled in laughter as he started to make his next investments in the sports field, especially boxing. He could just imagine it now, Takeda wearing Shinpaku boxing gloves and pants, along with Siegfried making money off his music.

"Speaking of which, I think it's time I get my loyal servant back," grinned Niijima as he grabbed wind-based accordion and setting out to a place he knew where Siegfried loitered to gain inspiration for his music.

* * *

"So will you be living with us when we hit high school?" asked Miu as she managed to hook her leg around Kenichi's neck and tried to toss him into the ground.

"That'll be the best time," replied Kenichi as he managed to prevent Miu from throwing his face into the ground by going with the flow and escaped out of her thigh throw in mid-motion and landed on his feet before charging forward with a Meotoude stance.

"I can't wait for you then," smiled Miu as she dodged his punches and attacked low, using her Silat techniques to attack low, aiming for his feet. Kenichi jumped in the air and used his hands to grab Miu's arm and threw her towards the wall in mid-air, but she recovered easily before charging forward once more.

"Time!" shouted Niijima all of a sudden, causing them to stop. They were at their secret hideout once more training.

"It's already five?" asked Kenichi in shock, "Time goes way too fast sometimes."

"Yes well I've been busy," replied Niijima.

Kenichi and Miu sighed as they began to do a different training with bricks, making sure their center of gravity was strong, one being the runner and the other the tosser. The two would switch after 5 minutes, each keeping score on who landed on their bricks successfully while the other would try to trick the runner with a different variation of bricks thrown, each brick with different sizes if needed.

"Hey Miu, do you want to eat at my house tonight?" asked Kenichi as it was approaching six. The two were sitting down and wiping down their sweat.

"Oooh? Asking her out and introducing your parents to her as a potential girlfriend?" grinned Niijima as he suddenly appeared behind the two of them.

Miu instinctively reacted and did an overhead throw, grabbing Niijima's arm and hurling him into the floor.

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry, that was my natural reaction," apologized Miu at once after she realized what she had done.

"Right... completely forgot nobody is supposed to stand behind you in surprise," groaned Niijima while Kenichi was laughing at his best/worst friend.

"Anyways, my parents asked me why I never brought friends over," explained Kenichi as soon as he managed to calm down, "Takeda and the others were good friends, but we 'haven't' met them yet. And the other people I've met in elementary and middle school can't replace what I've had with the others. Especially you, Miu. My little sister Honoka is actually inviting her friend over for dinner, and so my parents asked me to bring someone too. Obviously, I'm not going to invite Niijima, as he would freak them out. I mean, if you're busy, then..."

"I'd love to come," beamed Miu, remembering how adorable Honoka was. And, to be fair, she had never met his mother in person. The father... certainly left an impact when he came to visit the dojo one day.

"Well then, you two have fun," waved Niijima, "I've got some stocks I need to check on."

Miu quickly used the landline phone they had in their secret hideout to call Ryozanpaku to tell them that she would be eating out with a friend. Apachai had answered the phone with his usual statement "We have your child hostage."

"Apachai! You can't answer the phone like that!" scolded Miu once more, "Put grandfather on the phone, please."

"Hai!" replied Apachai before calling for the Elder over.

"Miu, is something wrong?" asked the Elder in concern.

"No grandfather, it's nothing serious," replied Miu, "Kenichi invited me to dinner with his family. His little sister invited her best friend, and his parents are asking to do the same. Is it okay if I go?"

The Elder's first instinct was to say no, that it was against Fuurinji dating policy. He had to stifle that reaction as Miu wasn't going alone with Kenichi, but with his whole family. Not to mention he knew Miu didn't have many friends, being on the road when she was young. It had caused her to be socially awkward for a bit when she started attending school.

Of course, that was before the time-travel business, where her personality did a 180. No longer was she an outcast, but she had some friends in her middle school that she would talk to sometimes. However, Miu didn't actively seek to hang out with them after school, as she was much more focused on her training. In the end, he said yes but told Miu to put Kenichi on the phone.

"Hello?" asked Kenichi when he got on the phone.

"Ken-chan, I'm going to say some very important things, so listen closely," said the Elder before somehow managing to flare his ki through the phone and directly to Kenichi, causing him to shiver. His eyes glowed with power, and Kenichi felt as though the Elder was standing right in front of him and not on the phone and pinning him down with his glare.

"Rule 1: She is not allowed in your room, period. I don't care if the door is open or not, you two will not be alone together. If the game is in your room, I suggest you take it out to the living room."

"Rule 2: Walk her home to the gates of Ryozanpaku. I don't care that she's strong enough to take care of herself. I expect her to be here by ten. Eleven at the latest if you call ahead."

"Rule 3: I expect you to keep your hands off inappropriate places. Scratch that, don't put your hands anywhere near my granddaughter's body. The only acceptable place is her hands when it is 12 centimeters away from the closest body part."

"Rule 4: I am the way, and I know when you aren't following my rules. Break any of them, and you'll find some bones surely broken too."

"Am I clear?' finished the Elder.

"YES!" cried Kenichi in fear for his life.

"Good boy, Ken-chan," said the Elder cheerfully as the suffocating Ki he was emitting disappeared, "Keep it up, and I might approve of you."

With that, the Elder hung up as Kenichi was left shaking in his pants.

"Apapapa, who was that?" asked Hopachai Apachai, the Death God of the Muay Thai Underworld, as the Elder walked back into the main area.

"Just Miu asking to eat dinner with a friend," replied the Elder.

"Hehehe, really?" laughed the Hundredth Degree Street Brawler, Sakaki Shio, "Sure didn't sound like it, given how you were flaring your ki like crazy."

"He's... right," added Kosaka Shigure, the Prodigy of Swords and Mistress of all Weaponry, hanging from the ceiling upside down. Tochumaru the mouse huffed in agreement.

"Hmmm could it be?" pondered the Philosophical Jiujutsu Master, Koetsuji Akisame "Is Miu going over to... a boy's house?"

Everyone paid attention to the Elder, the Invincible Superman, to see what he would do. They were not disappointed when they saw him flinch a little. Each one of them started to flare their ki, their eyes glowing in power.

"Hooo so our little Miu has a date, doesn't she?" grinned Ma Kensei, Master of all Chinese Kenpo, "Should we meet up with the boy?"

"Perhaps to see if he stand up to the test," grinned Sakaki as he sliced open a bottle of beer with his bare hands, "Make sure he's up to the standards."

"If he doesn't pass, Apachai will lightly beat him to death," clapped Apachai.

"Enough," commanded the Elder, causing them all to fall silent, "Miu is just eating dinner with one of her best friends at his house because his family asked their son and daughter to bring their best friends over to eat. Since Miu and the boy are best friends, it was natural for him to invite her. It is not a date."

"As far as we're told," snickered Kensei to Akisame while sneaking a camera out to take photos of Shigure. Shigure responded by throwing shurikens at him.

"What's more important is that we be able to eat tonight," sighed the Elder, "We need to be able to function and eat without Miu always cooking for us."

"That's... a fair point," frowned Sakaki, "She's always been cooking for us if we aren't going out to eat."

"I... help...," volunteered Shigure.

"Apa, why not just get something to eat from outside?" questioned Apachai.

"Because our budget is tight," lectured Akisame, "Though Miu's been balancing our budget as well as investing in some stocks so we aren't so poor. Sad to say, but Miu has been Ryozanpaku's steady earner next to Kensei and me, and she's only in middle school."

"I make a lot of money in one go...," said Sakaki as he tried to defend himself, but even he knew that was a weak excuse. Apachai and Shigure were silent as they were unemployed right now.

Miu, in reality, had been using Niijima as her source to invest in stocks to keep Ryozanpaku afloat. To all the masters, it was quite depressing that a young girl was one of the reasons, if not the main one, that Ryozanpaku hadn't fallen into very hard times where they had to share a single fish amongst themselves.

"Guess I'm cooking," sighed Kensei as he stood up to head to the kitchen and looked what they had in stock, "I'll be making bell pepper and beef stir-fry. And Akisame, learn to eat green pepper."

'Never,' thought Akisame in his mind as he suppressed a shudder.

* * *

Kenichi and Miu made it to his house at around 6:30, where Kenichi's mother, Saori, greeted them.

"My, when Kenichi said he was bringing home a friend, I certainly think it would be a cute girl," giggled Saori with her hand on her mouth, causing the two teenagers to blush.

"Honoka will be home soon enough," continued Saori, "She's bringing her best friend and apparently her older brother. The poor children don't have parents, and the older brother's forced to take care of both of them. They were orphans who were adopted until their stepfather suddenly died. Luckily, they're rich enough to support themselves, but I can't imagine how the elder sibling was forced to grow up so fast to take care of themselves. I hear he inherited a large corporation from his stepfather. As for your father, he'll be a bit late. He's currently in a business meeting, but he said he'll bring in a sashimi platter for us to enjoy."

Miu and Kenichi glanced at each other when they heard this statement. They had heard this story before, but surely it wasn't who they thought it was. They might've changed something, but could it really be... him? They were sitting in the living room when the door opened up.

"Mama, I'm home!" yelled Honoka from the door, "I brought back my friend and her brother!"

Honoka entered the living room and saw Kenichi, where she quickly greeted him with a tackle hug.

"Nii-chan, you don't play with me that often anymore! Kaede's nii-chan spends as much time as he can with her," complained Honoka.

It was then that the two visitors revealed themselves as they entered the door.

"Hello! I'm Tanimoto Kaede, and this is my big brother Tanimoto Natsu."

Miu and Kenichi had to resist the urge of screaming in surprise, though in Kenichi's mouth, his ulva was also screaming in shock.

* * *

"So...," started Kenichi as the two male teenagers stared at each other across the living room. Miu and the girls excused themselves to help Saori cook dinner. "You're the president of the Tanimoto Corporation, huh? A rather big position for your age."

"Yes, and though it is a bit difficult, I have embraced the position with excitement and hope to bring my stepfather's corporation to new heights," smiled Natsu, his teeth gleaming as he smiled and sat in a perfect position.

'Dammit I'm not used to Tanimoto being so nice,' thought Kenichi as he looked away guiltily. He couldn't even tell if this was really his personality or that he was just acting. Kenichi knew Tanimoto was a skilled actor, being able to disguise his emotions quite well. Yet he couldn't tell if this Natsu Tanimoto had changed because they had saved his sister.

"It's Shirahama Kenichi, right?" clarified Natsu, continuing the conversation, "Do you mind if I call you Kenichi?"

"If only I get to call you Natsu," replied Kenichi, very weirded out now. However, he noticed Natsu had flinched and clenched his hand. It was very minute that the average person wouldn't notice.

"Kenichi," started Natsu, his eyes suddenly narrowing, "Tell me.. wh-"

Natsu didn't get to finish his sentence as the front door opened once more to reveal Kenichi's father, Mototsuga Shirihama, had arrived.

"Dear, I'm home!" shouted Mototsuga while carrying a large take out box.

"Honey! Aren't you still supposed to be at your meeting? It's barely seven! You're not supposed to be home until 7:30!" demanded Saori in shock.

"Bah, it's nothing important," waved Mototsuga, "Just simple stuff. My secretary and other people can handle it."

His cell phone suddenly rang, to which he picked up and answered it.

"Division Chief!" screeched the person on the phone, "You can't just leave all of a sudden! We're still..."

Mototsuga hung up on the person immediately while muttering, "Stupid spam callers, stop calling me when I'm spending time with family. Anyways I bought the sashimi platter deluxe home for us to also eat!"

"Honey! Was that your workplace?" gasped Saori, "You can't hang up on them like that!"

"Family time is more important!" answered Motosuga, "Also, I heard my precious daughter brought home a boy, too. Ah, there he is! Come, boy, we must have a talk!"

Natsu's eyes narrowed, thinking that he wanted to talk about his corporation. It was obvious the man wanted a way in into his corporation with greed on his mind. Afterall, why dismiss what seemed to be an important meeting when the man had a chance to talk to the president of the Tanimoto corporation in person. He judged all adults to be the same... until Mototsuga's next sentence and action threw him completely off.

"I have a very special friend named Sebastian who's dying to meet you! "

Mototsuga had pulled out his shotgun from behind an ofuda and palmed it.

"Sebastian here is a special one here. I won several shooting awards with this baby, and keep him in mint condition. Now let's step into my office so I can interr- I mean to ask you about your intentions with my dau-"

He didn't get to finish as Saori smacked him in the head with a frying pan.

"Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes. Kenichi, why don't you entertain our guests," suggested Saori as she dragged her husband away as the audience stood there in shock and silence, choju giga frogs and bunnies hopping through.

"Your family is funny," giggled Kaede.

"Well... anyone up for some Daifugo or Hanafuda?" suggested Kenichi as he went to the drawers to pull out a pack of cards.

Honoka and Kaede wanted to instead play old maid, something the others agreed on or suffer the consequences of angry little sisters. While playing, Kenichi could feel Natsu's gaze towards him, as if scanning him for anything suspicious.

 _30 minutes later_

"I'm so sorry about my honey," Saori laughed lightly as they all sat around the table, "He can get rather excited sometimes, isn't that right?"

"I'm sowwy," apologized a bruised Mototsuga while Saori was pulling on his cheeks as continued punishment.

"It's... alright," said Natsu, still feeling a bit out of the loop with this family.

"It was funny!" grinned Kaede.

"So, Kaede-san, may I call you that? Ok, Kaede-san, I hear you're best friends with my daughter," started Saori as she finally let go of her husband's cheek.

"Yea!" replied an eager Kaede, "We like to hang out together at school a lot. Both of us are going to the same middle school and want to join the tennis club!"

"A good sport!" boomed Mototsuga, "I'm glad my daughter has a friend to be with!"

He gave a slight glare at Natsu, who was still sweatdropping at this apparent grudge that came out of nowhere that made no sense to him. He was used to people hating or revering him because of his position, but Mototsuga was not one of those people.

"Speaking of which, Kenichi! Why didn't you tell me you were bringing home such a cute girl!" grinned Mototsuga as he switched over to Kenichi and Miu.

"Dad!" blushed Kenichi.

"Miu-san, do you go to the same school as Kenichi?" asked Saori while Mototsuga continued to rib Kenichi.

"No, but Kenichi and I met up when we were still in elementary school at a park one day," smiled Miu as she lied. She couldn't really tell her that they met at high school in the future. "We hit off from then and meet up with each other when we can."

Honoka meanwhile was glaring at the girl that had apparently taken up so much of her brother's time, preventing him from spending time with her. She slowly scanned Miu's whole body and noticed that though it was not as big as her moms, Miu's bust was noticeably growing closer to it, and she was still in middle school!

'Big boobies is distracting my brother from me!' Honoka silently thought to herself, puffing in anger.

Kaede giggled as she looked at Honoka, clearly knowing what she was thinking. Her own brother Natsu tried his best to spend time with her, but she was more mature about it and knew her brother had his own life to do. Between running the company and going out at night doing whatever he did, she knew he was busy. The only glimpse she had of his nightlife was those weird gloves he had with the roman numeral VI on it.

And further in the past, some old man with a beard that loved to drink stayed with them for a bit. Natsu told her that he was a temporary guardian for their life. Kaede actually enjoyed talking with the man. Though he was grumpy and temperamental, he never did anything to her. He more of ignored her until Kaede would play some Mah Jong with him. That gave her brother a heart attack when he saw the two of them playing while carrying some stones on his wrist. Kaede thought Natsu was doing something for fun and ignored it. Then the old man left suddenly, nowhere to be seen.

'Just you wait, old man,' laughed Kaede, 'You can't just flee because you're losing our Mah Jong battle.'

* * *

After dinner was finished, Mototsuga swept both Kenichi and Natsu to his study room, declaring to his wife that the three of them needed some 'male bonding time'.

"So, Natsu. You're the same age as my son," started off Mototsuga, "That means it's time for a very serious talk."

Natsu Tanimoto gave an internal wince as he was guessing that this was the time the man wanted to talk about his company. All these adults were the same, looking down on him and trying to score big on his company. Well, he wouldn't go down that easily!

"Since my son brought home a girl, I figured it was time for both of you to learn about the birds and bees."

As choju giga monkeys hopped by, Natsu had to blink several times before turning crimson. Kenichi had the same reaction, as he had already gone through it once in his past life.

"N-n-no need!" panicked Natsu, "I've already learned about them!"

"Yea, I have a ummm read books about them! From both the 'How to' series and the 'In case' series!" claimed Kenichi. The sad part was that there really was books about it and that he had copies of them in his room as part of a package deal he bought.

While Natsu stared at Kenichi in utter shock that there were books like that, as he had heard about those two series before, in his mind, he was considering asking if he could borrow it to give to his little sister when it came time for hers. There was no way he was letting somebody else try to teach her in case they tried to trick her, but he wasn't willing to give her the talk either.

"Nonsense, my son!" scoffed Mototsuga, "Books can't explain these as well as a father can! I married your mother and had you and Honoka, so I know more! And Natsu, I know that you had a stepfather, but I don't think he would've had time to give this talk to you. So it is my job as a father to do what he should've done!"

"Can't we talk about something else?" cried Natsu, "What about my company, the Tanimoto corporation!?"

While Natsu couldn't believe he was hurling his company name as a distraction, it was better than getting the talk!

"Ah yes, the Tanimoto corporation," nodded Mototsuga distractedly, "A big company you lead. And from what I've heard, you're certainly doing a good job."

"Yes, yes," Natsu nodded his head eagerly, happy the distraction worked, "I hear you're a division chief for your company! I'm sure my company, which specializes in trading and shipping, could help yours."

"It's nice for you to offer, but I doubt my company would work well with yours," waved Mototsuga, "I work with Mitsubishi Financial, and we don't really do much on shipping. But I'm getting off topic. So now, the talk!"

While Natsu was in shock that his distraction failed and that Mototsuga worked in a such a powerful company with a high-end position, he was more concentrating on vowing to kill Kenichi for making him suffer through this. The only saving grace was that he was suffering through this with him.

It was nearing nine when Natsu and Kaede left in a company car that had picked them up while Kenichi was walking Miu home. Mototsuga wanted Kenichi to at least bring Maximilian with him for protection, but Saori knocked him out before calling a cab for the two of them, giving Kenichi some money for the ride. The two of them in reality just had the cab drive around the corner and park there, getting off and walking the rest of the way home the long way. They could've easily jumped a few river banks to get to Ryozanpaku faster, but they wanted to have some time to themselves while their hands were clasped together. Both had noticed Natsu had indeed gone under martial arts training from the way he moved.

"So Natsu had to suffer through the talk with you?" giggled Miu.

"It was embarrassing!" huffed Kenichi, "Though it was hilarious to see Natsu's face during the whole process. Speaking of which, what did you do with my mom, sister, and Kaede?"

Miu blinked before blushing, poking her hands together in reflex at the memory, "Your mom... decided it was also time for me to have the talk."

"What!? Why?"

"Well, I told your mom that I lived with my grandfather and …... uncles and a single aunt. She took it up herself to tell me from a female's point of view as well as a mother. When I told her my grandfather already went over it, she scoffed at it saying that males couldn't possibly understand a females body as well as a female, as it was their own body."

"Oh man," moaned Kenichi as he facepalmed, "The first time you actually meet my mother and my entire family and they decided to give you the talk. How embarrassing."

"It's okay, I didn't mind it too much. Your mother was very informative about some parts my grandfather was unclear about," smiled Miu, "I only wish that it was my...,"

Knowing what Miu was going to say, Kenichi hugged her to let her know that she was never alone. They made it to Ryozanpaku in silence before Miu gave Kenichi a swift peck on his lips before closing the doors. Kenichi would've stood there frozen if it wasn't the fact that he remembered the Elder was there and quickly fled the premises.

* * *

Kaede and Natsu Tanimoto made it back to their mansion with Natsu carrying Kaede on his back. Kaede had exhausted herself playing with Honoka and learning how to cook. As Natsu gently woke her up so she could take a bath before going to bed, Kaede made a remark.

"Honoka-chan's family is a fun family, isn't it?"

Natsu suffered through a quick flashback about the talk before agreeing with her. Besides that blight, it had been an enjoyable dinner. His sister wasn't being targeted as a potential suitor to get a way into his company, and the father had completely ignored the fact that he was the president of the Tanimoto corporation. Granted he worked at a rather high banking corporation, but he never pursued any line of thought about trying to get a way into his company. Though he still distrusted almost everyone, it was nice to have Kaede taste what a loving family was and what could've been their lives if their birth parents didn't die. Perhaps he wouldn't kill Kenichi if suffering through that talk was all that he had to suffer to give his little sister a good time.

"I liked Honoka's mom," yawned Kaede, "I wish she was our mother."

Natsu gently placed her on her bed, deciding that she could just take a shower in the morning.

"If you marry Honoka-chan, then she'd really be our mother and she'd be my sister," murmured Kaede as she started to drift to sleep, "Or if I marry Kenichi. That could work."

Something very audible snapped inside Natsu. Screw his previous thought, he was going to murder Kenichi and bury him deep in the earth where nobody could find him. He just needed some time to figure out how he could get away with it without arousing suspicion. Figuring he wouldn't get anything else done today, he donned his Ragnarok uniform and left the manor after making sure everything was secure, the security systems full operation, and the security guards he hired and trusted were there. If only his master hadn't left, then he'd feel even better. Afterall, nobody dared to attack the house Fierce God Ma Sogetsu was resting in.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Figured that Kaede would be roughly around the same age as Honaka, so why not the two of them become friends! Drags Natsu Taninmoto into the story way early for some humor. I was snickering as I was writing the latter half of this story. As usual, thank you Third Fang for the shout out. As for Kenichi's father, I figured he worked for some high company, but he does tend to put his family first. Honoka bring home a boy, even though it's her friend's brother, would no doubt bring panic upon him.**

 **Natsu's personality is roughly the same, but a bit softer when it comes to his sister. He still doesn't really trusts adults, reasons given later in story when relevant.**

 **Also, anyone who wnats to be a beta reader for this story, pm me.**

 **Now for some rants:**

 **Was having a good day when I caught up with the latest Hajime no Ippo chapter. Then I was outraged for a bit, and some stupid rumor about the story ending spread. Of course that's just a rumor, and do hope that it doesn't end that way. Otherwise, I'm completely dropping the manga and calling it stupid, stringing up the fans just to have that shattered. Seriously, felt like the author purposely 'downgraded' Ippo's power and everything when it came time for the fight, but whatever goes goes for the author. Most likely spin some bullcrap where Ippo goes "I can't escape the ring, it calls to me." If he doesn't then he really dropped the baton pass.**

 **Also something that's been occupying my time. I borrowed FF15 from my friend. Gameplay was decent, shitty camera angles though. I somehow managed to screw the camera angle so that I was looking from inside the boss's ass or something. Game was completely black for a good 20 seconds. And no, my television wasn't off, I could use the pause or menu button. The thing I didn't like is how in order to completely understand the game, I have to youtube extra scenes. And not to mention with a few updates, they add in more scenes T.T. Also don't plan on buying the Royal Edition.**

 **What I really didn't like was the storyline/ending. Depressing as hell, not going to spoil it here though. Also for when you complete the game and get the flying car, it's not really as free as the other games like ff7. You can't even take a straight path to Lestallum. I've tried, won't let me cross the ocean directly. Very easy to crash, feels slower and you might as well just let the auto drive on the road do its work instead. Funny enough, I've already thought of a storyline for it, and it uses my old FFX story. I might write it, and it'll have a bit more of a happier ending.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yaa chapter 3! On a side note, I am looking for a beta for this story. Third Fang was kind enough to do the first two chapters, but he's busy enough with his own stuff.**

 **Anyways enjoy!**

 **Also, I fact-checked whatever I mentioned in the story that some of you may have doubts. More at the end so I don't spoil it.**

* * *

Time passed by once more towards the end of the second year without much incident. Kaede had been invited to Kenichi's house a few more times, but Natsu rejected each invite, stating that he had a business to run and other tasks to take care of. It was late March of 1999, where students had finished their final exams and see if they would move up a grade, graduate, etc. Niijima was busy fiddling with his PDA while Kenichi was working on his core muscles at their secret hideout. Miu was absent for the day as the Elder had asked Akisame and Ma to help train a few specific muscles and tendons for Miu.

"I think I'm going to head home early," groaned Kenichi as he finished his intense workout with weights strapped all over his body, "I promised Honoka I'd take her to the park with Kaede."

"I'm still laughing that you had to meet Taninmoto!" cackled Niijima, "An unexpected twist, but I can work with it! You can ask your sister to ask Kaede to-"

Niijima didn't get to finish as Kenichi jabbed him in the ribs hard.

"Don't involve my little sister in your evil plans," lectured Kenichi.

"Fine, I've got other ways," groaned Niijima when they heard someone knocking at the only known entrance.

The two of them glanced at each other, not expecting anyone. Niijima discretely turned on the security cameras he had installed and checked his pda.

"It's the Elder," sighed Niijima in relief, "Don't know what he wants, though. I'll buzz him in."

The wall slowly separated horizontally to reveal the door, which opened vertically. Niijima had managed to get a few more upgrades to their security after the Elder managed to breach it so easily. It wasn't fullproof, but it never hurt to upgrade security.

"So what's up?" asked Niijima as the Elder entered the room while Kenichi quickly served tea.

"It's done," the Elder sighed.

Both boys could see small bags under his eyes, signifying just how tired he was. It made Kenichi realize that though Hayato Fuurinji was one of the strongest, if not THE strongest man in the world, he was still an old man. Sure the Elder was much fitter and more powerful than almost anyone Kenichi had ever seen in any age range, but with great age also meant the Elder had seen much more than a majority of masters throughout the years that could haunt even haunt a grandmaster.

"What do you mean?" asked Niijima.

"Tsutomu Tanaka and Mayu Tanaka, along with their unborn child, lives on," announced the Elder, "Unfortunately, I was unable to convince Kai to refuse the duel and think about his health. It was painful... to witness the death of my disciple, caused by my other disciple and my move."

"If you don't want to go into detail you don't have to," Kenichi said with a serious tone.

"No, it's only fair that I do so," replied the Elder, "After all, without your warning, Tsutomu Tanaka would have become a widower at such an early age in marriage. No doubt vengeance would've consumed his entire existence."

* * *

 _The flashback begins weeks ag_ o

"Kai, your body had deteriorated quite a bit. Please, go see Akisame for this," begged the Elder.

"What's with this sudden approach?" coughed Kai as he spat out some blood, "You've always seen me in this condition, but you've never pushed me to see a doctor this hard before."

"It's just a gut feeling," said the Elder, pushing off the subject, "But don't you think it's more important than ever that you see a proper doctor? Your daughter is married, an-"

The Elder didn't get to continue as Kai started to twitch uncontrollably, but not from his illness. Rather this was from the fact that his lovely and only daughter was actually married. And what was worse, was that it had been a shotgun wedding at the age of eighteen! On the plus side, he was ensured a successor to the Tenchu Mushin School, though he dearly wished it hadn't been this early.

"Get a hold of yourself!" sighed an exasperated Elder. He had to hold back Kai while he cried tears of blood every time he saw Tanaka and Mayu together before the fateful event that got her pregnant. Perhaps he should've let Kai interfere on some of those dates. His thoughts went back to Miu being pregnant right out of high school.

'Nope! I'm making it a requirement that anyone that wants to marry my granddaughter or even touch her must be able to defeat me in a fight. That should prevent Miu from getting married or pregnant too early!' thought the Elder, 'Especially since she's dating right now!'

Needless to say, it was because of this shotgun wedding that the Elder made that a requirement in the old timeline. The master truly learned from the disciple.

After Kai finally managed to repress the urge to throttle Tsutomu, he looked at the elder once more.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," grinned Kai, "I'm not kicking the bucket any time soon! Not until I pass all my techniques to Tsutomu and Mayu. "

'That's what I'm afraid of,' thought the Elder.

He couldn't just tell Kai that he was going to die if he accepted the duel against Ogata and he couldn't force Kai to refuse. Kai had his pride as a martial artist as well as a rivalry against Ogata. They had both been taught the same technique by the same master and taken different approaches to improving it.

"Please, just consider it," pleaded the Elder.

"Fine, fine, I'll do it," waved Kai, "Now let's go see my daughter! I hear that her belly bump is starting to show just a little for being a month pregnant!"

"Thank goodness," breathed the Elder before smiling and agreeing to go. Kai seemed to be able to restrain himself from punching Tanaka in favor of rubbing Mayu's stomach and speaking words to her stomach.

A few days later, the Elder was hiding and forced to witness the duel against Ogata. Tsutomu was working overtime at a job to support the family while Mayu had to wtiness her father's duel and death by Ogata's hand.

"I'll avenge my father!" screamed Mayu as she charged forward when she saw the light extinguish from her father's eyes.

"I warn you, I make no distinction between men and women in a fight," warned Ogata as he quickly turned around to defend himself from the bloodlust he detected.

Mayu took no heed of this warning and tried attacking him, throwing a palm attack to his face. Ogata, though bleeding heavily, manage to parry this attack away from him.

"Stop! This is my last warning!" declared Ogata as he moved his head away from another strike that broke the flaming wooden pillar apart, "If you continue, I will fight back!"

Mayu, lost in her rage, continued to attack Ogata without heed. She had just about broken past the expert barrier and in the world of masters. However, even though Ogata was weakened, he was still in the Grand Master range. Ogata parried her strike and countered with a swift kick to the head. Mayu blocked it, but the attack was so powerful that it made her stumble. At the same time, her stomach acted up and disoriented her further. Ogata noticed that she was wide open and threw a killing knife-hand blow right to her stomach. Before his attack reached just centimeters away from the stomach, a large hand clasped onto his thrust, stopping it cold while another hand dragged Mayu by her dougi.

"Enough," rumbled the Elder, shocking both fighters for a brief second at his sudden appearance, "One man's blood has already been spilled today. There will be no more as long as I am here."

Mayu was still lost in her rage, trying to claw at Ogata and almost kicked the elder before he suddenly let go of her and stabbed her in the neck with two fingers, knocking her unconscious.

"Why did you interfere?" asked Ogata warily as he faced the Elder. As confident as he was in himself, he knew he would be unable to win against Hayato Fuurinji, the Invincible Superman, even if he was in perfect health. However, what the Elder had done could be considered a breach of duel etiquette. Even Mayu didn't interfere until her father stopped breathing. So why did the Elder do so now? And why not during Kai's fight?

"She chose her path! You, who stand at the peak of the martial arts world, would choose to interfere in such matters? Is it because she is your disciple's daughter that you interfered? Is she so important that you would throw away your pride and reputation as a legendary master?"

"I interfered not because of her sake, nor yours," snorted the Elder, "But rather, for the one who had yet to even choose their own path. One that has yet to open their eyes to this world."

Ogata looked confused for a bit until he suddenly looked down at Mayu, and most importantly, focused on her stomach. It was then he noticed that her stomach bulged out a little, and knew it wasn't from belly fat. He then recalled his kick and how she had blocked it perfectly, and yet she stumbled enough to give Ogata a perfect killing opportunity. Ogata first thought that he had landed a stronger kick than he thought, but looking back, he realized that it should not have been the case. At most, she would've stumbled but easily recovered her position.  
Ogata looked at his hand, the one that been poised to stab Mayu in the stomach, killing her... and the unborn child.

"Leave," advised the Elder, "You have already accomplished your goal. I will not take revenge for my student. It was his wish to fight you, and it is because of that I will respect his wishes and not fight you. It would be against the martial art's code for a master to interfere in his own disciple's fight, ex or not. However, I will not tolerate the loss of another's life, especially one that has yet to even open their eyes to this world."

"... Thank you, Fuurinji-sensei," bowed Ogata after some silence, "Thank you for preventing me from claiming a life that has yet to choose their own path. However, I still hold on to my code of Satsujinken."

"And I respect that, even if I dislike it," rumbled the Elder, "Just know, the next time we meet on a battlefield may be one that we will fight against each other."

Ogata nodded and quickly left the fiery premises, not wanting to fight the Elder in case he changed his mind. It was unlikely the Elder would do so, but that was something Ogata wasn't willing to risk. A few minutes later a panicking Tsutomu arrived to see if everything was alright. They quickly took refuge at Tsutomu's rented apartment.

Mayu slowly opened her eyes to look up into a familiar ceiling. She blinked as she recognized it as part of Tsutomu's apartment. Especially that hole that she made by accident when she came over to visit and the two got a bit amorous. She had flung her shoe off her feet into that specific spot by accident when eagerly stripping. Boy was her father mad when he found out she went to his house to get close. It was possible that was the day she got pregnant, too.

A choju giga bunny hopped by for a bit before Mayu suddenly sat up, scaring the bunny.

"Father!" shouted Mayu in a panic as she tried to get off the bed when she noticed Tsutomu, her husband, laying his head on the bed while sitting, his hands clenched on her left hand.

"You're awake," rumbled a voice from the kitchen.

Mayu blinked as the Elder stooped down under the hallway leading from the kitchen. Her mind swiftly recalled the events of what had happened before glaring at him.

"Why did you stop me?" growled Mayu, "He killed my father! It was my right to duel him right there and then, and he was fighting back, agreeing to the duel! You had no right to intervene, even if my father asked you to stop me!"

"I stopped you not for your life, foolish one!" yelled the Elder back, his eyes glowing and flashing with power, "I know better than to stop a person from making their own choices. But did you think about the consequences if you died? You would've left your husband as a widower and childless! Did you forget about that bundle of life growing in your stomach? The one that hasn't even made a choice yet?"

At this statement, Mayu paled and instantly put her right hand on her belly. She had forgotten that she was pregnant in her own rage, and started to hyperventilate.

Tsutomu had woken up when the Elder had finished lecturing Mayu just to see her hyperventilating.

"Mayu! Breath, just breath in deeply and slowly," instructed Tsutomu.

"The baby! Is the baby... is the baby alright?" asked Mayu in fear.

"As far as we know, the baby is safe," smiled the Elder, "Though I suggest going to the doctors just to be sure."

"Thank goodness," breathed Mayu, tears starting to fall out of her eyes.

"Unfortunately, your dojo was completely burned down," frowned the Elder, "If you need somewhere to stay, you will always be welcomed at Ryozanpaku."

"Thanks, but I think we can handle it," smiled Tsutomu as he rubbed his wife's stomach with tender passion, "I can't wait to hold him or her. Think he or she will be a martial artist like us?"

"Honey, you're looking at the next successor to the Tenchu Mushin," smiled Mayu before frowning, "But we don't have our dojo anymore, and we weren't exactly rich or filled with students."

"Ah, but I managed to convince your father to take an insurance policy on the dojo just in case," smirked Tsutomu, "The insurance will cover everything and more!"

"How'd you get an insurance company to agree?" mused the Elder, knowing how hard it was to get Ryozanpaku even through the front door, "And wouldn't it count as fraud as Kai did half the damage to the dojo itself?"

"When you've worked within insurance companies before, you tend to be able to navigate those treacherous waters," replied Tsutomu, "Our new dojo will be better than ever! Your father's legacy will live on!"

Mayu chose to show her gratitude give him a passionate kiss on his lips. The Elder chuckled as he decided to leave the couple alone.

* * *

 _Flashback ends_

"That's a relief, Tanaka-san's wife and future child lives," breathed Kenichi.

"Another ally for the future against Yami," remarked Niijima.

"Tell me... what was Tsutomu Tanaka like in the future if I hadn't saved Mayu and the child?" asked the Elder with trepidation. The boys and Miu hadn't really described his personality, taking the abridged version as it was faster.

"Broken," replied both boys instantly.

"He focused all his efforts and broke through the Expert boundary, reaching Master class at the age of 20, but...," Kenichi trailed off.

"In order to try to remain to the path of Katsujinken, he had an automated dialing service that would dial to his phone, and he would pick up and converse with the phone, as though he was talking to his wife," continued Niijima, "It was his crutch until he finally caved to Satsujinken while fighting Ogata."

"And nobody would really know except for Ogata himself," mused the Elder, knowing that there were likely no other witnesses. He doubted he would've known until years after. "Though it is sad to hear such a devoted disciple fall to the path of Asura."

"Tanaka-san seemed to regret his choices before he died," said Kenichi as he leaned back on his chair, "His last words to me was to protect Miu, and to not follow the same path as he did."

"So he saw the light to Katsujinken in the end," concluded the Elder, "Perhaps this time, such temptation won't happen now, though I worry about Mayu. She may be tempted to do so to get revenge for her father."

"I'm confident with Tsutomu and his daughter, Mayu won't be tempted to kill Ogata just to win," stated Kenichi, "I'm sure she'll train until she can defeat him without killing her opponent, just like her father wanted."

The Elder gave a small smile, hoping Kenichi's opinion would be correct as he left to pick up his baby sister and take her to the park.

* * *

"How's training going for you now?" asked Kenichi during the spring break before they would be third-year students in middle school.

"Harsh," replied Miu, "Grandfather's pushing me harder than ever now that he knows I can control my Dou Ki."

She giggled before continuing, "Of course, he wasn't happy that the reason why I could was because of you and your words reaching to me."

"Is that why he's not watching over your shoulder right now?" asked Kenichi.

The two of them were at an actual date at a cat cafe, where Miu was happily eating while petting a small kitten.

"Grandfather promised me he wouldn't interfere or watch today's date," said Miu before switching topics.

"I can't believe I've never heard of this place and that you found it!" said Miu cheerfully.

"Yea, well, I just used the internet to look for it," replied Kenichi guiltily. In reality, he had asked Niijima to help him.

"So let's catch a movie at three!" said Kenichi, swapping the subject, "I heard there's a good one out now, and I don't think I've seen it back in the past."

"Let's go then!" smiled Miu, as she had never been to the movies before.

Meanwhile, high above them all, was Shigure and Sakaki. Though the Elder promised not to watch her date, he found a loophole that didn't state he couldn't send somebody else to do so. It was a petty loophole, but still a loophole none the less. Akisame and Ma were busy at their clinics, and Apachai... wasn't the best to ask to do a reconnaissance mission. Hence Shigure and Sakaki were his only choices.

"Hehehe, so that's who Miu has been hanging out with," grinned Sakaki from the rooftops, "Looks like a date to me. Think we should interfere?"

"Elder... said to... observe only...," answered Shigure with her mouse Tochumaru nodding in agreement.

"Feh, you're no fun," pouted Sakaki as he watched the two teenagers leaving, "Maybe that's why you haven't had a single date before."

Sakaki had said this out on a whim, not really thinking of his words, but Shigure looked like she was contemplating something when he said this. It was true that before she came to Ryozanpaku with Akisame, she had lived her childhood with her adopted father alone in the middle of nowhere, and then her child to teenage years in a house with the old hermit Hachirobe Kosaka that was Akisame's master for a little, learning the Kosaka style. Her only other contact with a male remotely close to her age during the time she grew up was Rin Tachibana, her 'sibling' by being in the same discipleship with Hachirobe Kosaka, and even that was barely a day.

She looked at Miu to see she seemed very happy with Kenichi and pondered what it was like to go out on a date with someone. She witnessed Miu hook arms with Kenichi as they walked towards the movie theater, keeping the image in mind. Miu looked radiant while she was with Kenichi. Perhaps she should try it too? But on whom, was the question. The only males she had extended contacts with were the ones at Ryozanpaku. Shelving these thoughts for later, Shigure, Tochumaru, and Sakaki chased after Miu and Kenichi

"The kid knows a good movie," grunted Sakaki a few hours later, still stalking... tracking Kenichi and Miu.

The two were now heading to Ryozanpaku, where Kenichi would drop Miu off before heading home. Sakaki, not wanting to lose sight of Kenichi and Miu, had paid for his and Shigure's ticket. They had all ended up watching _Titanic_ in English with Japanese Sub. He had half-expected the kid to bring Miu to see the new _Detective Conan_ movie or some action film, not a romantic/tragedy.

Shigure was still strictly observing Miu more than Kenichi, witnessing Miu kiss Kenichi on the cheek before they parted ways. She observed Kenichi's giddy form as he walked away and tilted her head in confusion. This would need further questioning.

* * *

A few days later while Miu was at the hot spring, relaxing after a long day when Shigure joined her. The two bathed in silence when Shigure popped her question.

"Miu... what's a …. date like?" asked Shigure.

Miu's hair flew up in shock at this random question before sputtering out, "What brought that question up? And what do you mean, a date? Like a calendar day?"

"Curiosity... from a book," replied Shigure, "And the... one dealing with... romance."

Miu raised an eyebrow before attempting to explain to her what a date was like. She had an inkling that though her grandfather didn't spy on her, he might have sent others to spy on her date with Kenichi. She had no proof, and she wanted to believe her grandfather wouldn't do such a thing.

"So... going to a movie... with a male... who pays for …. my ticket... is like... a date?" asked Shigure.

'That was oddly specific,' thought Miu, "Yea! What type of movie was it?"

"A romance/tragedy one," answered Shigure.

Miu squealed in excitement, "That's definitely a date! Who asked you? Oh I want to know!"

"A …. friend."

"C'mon, give me a name!"

"You'll …. see."

Seeing as she was unable to pry an answer from Shigure, Miu gave up, though she would have to observe Shigure more closely. She had never shown any interest like this in the past.

They had finished bathing and dressed back in their sleeping garments, or in Shigure's case, a loincloth and skimpy yukata, and were walking back to the dojo when they passed by Sakaki, Akisame, Ma, and Aapachai, who were going to take a turn in the hot springs.

It was then Shigure surprised everyone by walking up to Sakaki and kissing him on the cheek.

"Thanks... for the... date," said Shigure as she walked away.

Choju Giga animals trotted around the frozen masters and disciple for a full five seconds before there was any reaction.

Miu was squealing with excitement and surprise while her hands formed a heart shape. Ma was looking at Sakaki in shock while Apachai was clapping just because he could, having no idea why Shigure kissed Sakaki. Sakaki himself was frozen in place at whats just happened.

'Date? I didn't take her out on a date!' thought Sakaki, his mind whirling through past events. The only time he was with Shigure was... when they had gone to spy on Miu! He racked his brains to figure out why Shigure thought it was a date. It's not like they went to see a romantic movie and he paid for her ticket and food... oh wait he did! Now Sakaki felt more self-conscious about Shigure then ever! He had already gotten used to her unusual choice of clothes and lack of awareness for others, but now this one kiss made him realize just how beautiful Shigure was.

Shaking his head and already getting ready to explain to Shigure what a real date was, he swore he felt the cold hands of death touch his shoulder.

"Sakaki...," said Akisame slowly, his grip tightening on Sakaki's shoulder while his eyes were glowing, "What have you been doing or saying to Shigure?"

"I'm innocent in all this!" panicked Sakaki, not wanting to fight Akisame over a simple misunderstanding.

"So you didn't take Shigure to see a romantic movie and pay for her ticket?" asked Miu innocently.

"Er, well," stammered Sakaki, "That was... well... ummm..."

"Did you take her to see a movie?" asked Kensei curiously.

"Well I did, but it was completely circumstantial," stated Sakaki, trying to navigate through this hazardous mine field. He couldn't tell them that the Elder had asked him and Shigure to stalk Miu and her date.

"Oh... and what were the circumstances?" asked Akisame lightly.

"I... err... Miu why don't you get me a beer while I explain it?" begged Sakaki, hoping to distract Miu while he could quickly explain everything without her having to hear it.

"You already had 5 beers today," said Miu sternly, "I won't allow you to go over the limit, otherwise I'll have to rebalance the budget, and I don't want to."

"Err, how about a snack!?" exclaimed Sakaki, "I'm sure Apachai is still..."

He trailed off as he saw Ma Kensei and Apachai already snacking on food and watching the scene.

'Bastards,' thought Sakaki, having another path shut off before turning to Akisame, "It's... not what it looks like?"

"It seems to me you took advantage of Shigure's lack of experience in the real world," stated Akisame, his eyes glowing, "As her 'uncle' and as well as the one who took care of her until we arrived at Ryozanpaku, it is only fitting that I bestow the punishment as well as the 'angry father' talk! Prepare yourself, Sakaki Shio!"

The dojo was lucky that Akisame's first move was to hurl Sakaki out into the back woods before they started their epic fight. Trees and dirt were tossed everywhere, stones shattered into dust, and birds actively avoiding the danger zone. It was only thanks to the Elder's intervention that the fight didn't move into the neighborhood.

After Miu had gone to sleep, it was only then the Elder managed to tell Akisame that the reason the two had been together was that he had asked them to watch over Miu and Kenichi just in case. That sent Ma Kensei laughing for hours.

"Seriously? Shigure-san and Sakaki-shifu together?" gaped Kenichi the next afternoon back at their hideout.

"I know!" giggled Miu, "I don't know what happened, and I don't know if this happened back in our old timeline. None the less, it's good to see Shigure actually going out on a date!"

"The two of them though... seems very unlikely," said Kenichi with a wry expression.

"Who were you expecting?" asked Miu curiously.

"Akisame-sensei," answered Kenichi with a serious tone, "He knows so much about her."

"Akisame is almost 17 years older than Shigure," lectured Miu, "He's almost old enough to be her father, which apparently, he stated that he was her 'uncle'."

"And... done!" yelled Niijima as he triumphantly lifted his upgraded PDA.

They were all eating lunch, as they had finished their second year with all of them being first or in the top ten at their respective schools.

"So... the third year," said Kenichi as he looked at the ceiling.

"One more year before it all starts," Miu agreed.

"One more year until I gain all my faithful pawns," chuckled Niijima before being elbowed in the stomach by both Kenichi and Miu.

* * *

Half a year flashed by already for the trio, marking the end of the first semester for their third year in middle school. Right before the end of the semester, all students met up with their homeroom teacher to discuss which high school they would be attending or wishing to go with recommendations, etc. The trio all answered that they would be heading to Koryo High School, which, of course, caused many of the teachers to panic and convince them to think about another school. Koryo High School was very well known for their free sense of tradition, which was to say, half of its student population were delinquents. The school attracted delinquents from everywhere and due to their rather lax standards on the entrance exam, it was easy for them to enter. Each of them tried to tell them all about the hilights of other schools, such as the gymnastics club at one school for Miu, where they always attended the championship and won it.

One teacher tried to convince Niijima and Kenichi to apply to another high school, stating that he heard rumors of a delinquent in middle school that had bullied various students for money, homework, or for fun. What was worst that nobody would punish him because all his victims were terrified of him that they opted to transfer schools instead of telling on him, thus leaving no witnesses or squealers.

However, their minds were already made up, and thus the teachers were unable to convince them to apply to another school. The teachers could only accept their decision and only hope was along the path, they would change their minds.

The principals and homeroom teachers of their schools did try to convince the parents to convince the children, but that failed as well. The principal from Miu's school was frightened away when Apachai and Sakaki had answered the door. Two teachers from Niijima and Kenichi's school were sent to their homes. Mototsuga told the teacher that it was Kenichi's choice and that he would stand by him. Naturally, after the teacher left, did Mototsuga fall down to the couch, crying that Kenichi was growing up too fast while Saori comforted him. As for the other teacher that went to Niijima's house... he disappeared for a week. He was later seen walking around the halls as though he had been brainwashed.

Now, though, the time had finally arrived for Kenichi to rejoin Ryozanpaku.

"Dam I'm nervous," shivered Kenichi as he stood in front of the giant door that led to Ryozanpaku.

"What's wrong?" asked Miu, who had accompanied him to the door.

"What if they don't trust me? What if they don't believe in our story and just think it's something I made up or a prank?"

"Kenichi! Have more faith in your masters!" scolded Miu.

"Sorry, but it's nerve wrecking!" admitted Kenichi., "Apachai would probably accept it with no question. Sakaki might be the hardest to convince though."

"Have no fear," said the Elder as he walked up towards the couple before placing himself in between Miu and Kenichi discreetly, "I will be there to verify your claims."

"Well then, let's go!" declared Miu, pushing Kenichi forward.

Kenichi took a deep breath and pushed the heavy oak doors open. He was so thankful that he managed to do it on his first try, remembering in the past how he couldn't even make it budge when he first came here.

"Apapa, Miu and the Elder is back!" shouted Apachai, "And they brought a boy with them!"

Sakaki blinked as he saw the boy and knew it was the same kid that Miu had been on a date with.

"Well this should be interesting," Sakaki darkly chuckled, "Perhaps the Elder brought him over to intimidate him. I would certainly help him."

"... Why?" asked Shigure, who was hanging upside down from the ceiling as usual.

"You have to ask? Akisame went full 'father' mode one me!" growled Sakaki.

"Because... of our... date?" asked Shigure, "Because... I enjoyed... it... and wouldn't... mind …. doing it... again."

Sakaki blushed and looked away, unable to respond to that. He was once more aware of her figure when she said that and decided to distract himself by flaring his ki towards the kid. He was a bit surprised to see the kid flinch but still stand, even though he only sent a low-level ki intent against him. It seems like things would be interesting.

Soon, all the masters were gathered at the main dojo, wondering why the Elder had called this meeting for, and why Miu and the new kid were sitting with them.

"I called this meeting for a very important reason," started the Elder, " Miu had been hiding a secret from us for quite some time now."

"You mean having a boyfriend?" asked Kensei curiously, "That doesn't seem to be that big of a secret."

"No, something deeper," clarified the Elder, "Ken-chan, would you care to start it off?"

"I doubt it's anything big that we can handle," chuckled Akisame, slightly stroking his mustache.

The bomb that Kenichi and Miu dropped, of course, surprised him as well as the rest of Ryozanpaku.

"Time travel!? Like legitimate time travel, as in going to the past!?" yelled Sakaki.

"Elder, such a tale seems... implausible," stated Akisame before pulling out a blackboard from seemingly nowhere and spouting off random theories, using Einstein's equation as the basis for the majority and then disproving each one. Kensei also seemed a bit suspicious but said nothing.

"Apachai thinks we should trust him," said Apachai, causing the other masters to turn to him, "He and Miu both have the same story, and the Elder believes them! What else is there to discuss?"

"I... agree," nodded Shigure.

The others blinked in surprise but still held their suspicions.

"Bah, still don't believe it," blew off Sakaki, "I never take disciples!"

Fortunately, Ma Kensei decided to ask a smarter question.

"If it's true, and that you were truly all of our disciples," said Kensei, "Then you must know our habits or traits."

Immediately, Kenichi brought the limited edition magazine of women in bikinis so skimpy that it might as well had been small pieces of clothes or spandex and presented it to Ma Kensei. The magazine immediately disappeared from his hands as Ma Kensei began to flip through it and giggle while saying that he believed him.

"Kenichi, why do you have that?" stated Miu as her eyes turned into white circles, her ki flaring up as strands of hair seemed to float.

"Because I knew he would want that!" defended Kenichi, "You said to bring something that'll make them believe the story! Ma-shifu is... well.. you know... perverted and loves those stuff!"

Akisame coughed before stating, "While bringing that may .. pacify Ma Kensei, it still doesn't prove-"

"You hate green peppers," interrupted Kenichi.

"...You could've easily asked-" began Akisame weakly, but Kenichi wasn't finished.

"You specialize in Jiujitsu, you're known in some medical groups as 'the man even diseases fear', aka the medic demon. You're a polymath, you constructed your whole body to be composed of pink muscles, and you once told me that you believed that you killed Shigure's father, the Last Blacksmith of Yami, when in reality he was already dying from a disease and you tried to save him from being thrown over a cliff, where he cut his own arm off to fall to his death. You then took Shigure to your old master, where she became Kosaka Shigure. "

Akisame blinked in surprise, especially at that last part. He had never told anyone about that, especially not Miu.

"Bah, Akisame is known in several circles," scoffed Sakaki, still in disbelief, "Bet you can't get my profile."

"You used to work with the FBI until you got tired," started Kenichi, "Your teammates were Christopher Eclair and Mycroft until you had a disagreement with them. You tried to bury them with a loader when they tried to kill you. You have a sister "

"... you could've easily gotten that from looking at some general missions," whistled Sakaki, looking away while chugging a beer bottle.

"Your fiance is Jennifer Gray."

Sakaki spat out his beer in surprise.

"She's not my fiance!" roared Sakaki, "I dunno when you managed to talk with little Jenny, but whatever she said ain't true! Plus, if you're friends with her, then you can easily learn stuff about me! Give me something more solid, something I've never told her before!"

"... You're best friend/rival was Akira Hongo, aka God Fist. You've fought each other so many times that you have 125 wins and 126 losses, though he believes he didn't win the last fight because he failed to kill you. Your scar on your face is from his attack while you gave him a vertical scar on the left side of his face, near his eye."

That stopped Sakaki cold in his tracks. He had never told anyone about his win-loss ratio against Hongo. There was only one other person that knew about those duel records besides the participants, and he was dead.

"Apapapa do me!" cheered Apachai, not even caring at this point. He just wanted to learn about the disciple that he would raise in the future.

"Err... you like hamburger steaks, you know Agaard Jum Sai, and you hate planes."

"Apapa that's amazing!" clapped Apachai, "Do Ma Kensei next."

"That's unnecessary," intervened Kensei, "I've seen enough to believe him."

Shigure was silent as usual until she dropped a rather big bomb on Sakaki again with a completely different subject, "Does that mean... I had an affair... with Sakaki on that date?"

The whole room was silent at this announcement until they remembered Kenichi had mentioned Sakaki having a fiance.

"SA!KA!KI!" growled Akisame, his face contorting in anger while his eyes were glowing with power.

"Dammit Shigure stop doing that!" cried Sakaki before trying to pacify Akisame, telling him that he did not have a fiance despite what Jennifer claimed and that he was not interested in Shigure. That last part set off Akisame as he asked why wasn't Sakaki interested in her, that if she wasn't good enough. Sakaki was caught in one of the worst catch-22s until the Elder finally intervened.

"Instead of just talking, let Kenichi show you by sparring," proclaimed the Elder, "You can verify from his moves that he learned from you all."

"Good idea," acknowledged Akisame after he finally stopped trying to throttle Sakaki, "Who should do it, though?"

"Apapa, I'll go!" volunteered Apachai.

Kenichi had to resist screaming once more, as he knew Apachai had trouble holding back even after he took Kenichi as a disciple. Even then, Apachai had more than once sent him close to the afterlife only for Kensei to drag his departing soul back in with his medicine.

"No, it's better for me to do it," stated Akisame, "You don't know how to hold back."

Apachai was sent sulking in a corner while the others cleared the floor to allow Kenichi and Akisame to spar.

"Don't hold back," lectured Akisame, "I will be on the defensive to see your moves."

Kenichi nodded as he took a deep breath and released his ki, his eyes glowing. The masters all raised their eyebrow when they saw his Ki kneading was already at a master's level. They had their suspicions when they first saw him, but this merely confirmed it.

'Perhaps I shouldn't hold back as much as I was planning to,' thought Akisame before raising his arm, his hand flicked the universal 'come'.

Kenichi charged forward, initiating the first steps of _**Korui Nuk**_ i.

A few moments later, Kenichi rolled away breathless and bruised as Akisame threw him into the ground for what seemed to be the 8th time in a row. His opening gambit hadn't worked, as before he could exploit the weak points in Akisame's defense, which were very few, Akisame had moved and grabbed Kenichi, throwing him into the ceiling. Kenichi tried other tactics using each style he learned, but was met with Akisame's iron defense, though Akisame did look at at him with slight approval.

'Ow,' thought Kenichi as he shook his head. Clearly, his moves weren't working. He looked at each of his future masters and suddenly had an idea that would surely convince them that they had taught him besides knowing their history.

Akisame sensed a changed and prepared to what was to come. He was, however, very surprised when Kenichi attacked like he was a mini version of Apachai, complete with Muay Thai, personality, and tempo. Kenichi's power was obviously lower than Apachai and slower, but he could clearly see the resemblance.

'Interesting,' mused Akisame as he dodged a fierce knee attack, 'It really is like fighting a small Apachai."

"Apapa, that's me!" clapped Apachai in excitement. "Look, Shigure, look look look!"

Kenichi fired an _**Apapunch**_ strong enough that Akisame felt his hands tingling after blocking it and attacked back with a palm thrust. Akisame's eyes widened a tiny bit as he could feel Kenichi change once more, switching to a Karate block with his right hand and attacked with his left. He dodged it and jumped back just as Kenichi stepped in while yelling "Chesto!"

"Apapa, look it's Sakaki!" laughed Apachai, "He even sneers like him!"

"I do not sneer or laugh like that!" sputtered Sakaki as Kenichi stood in a karate pose with a sneer.

"It's very accurate," commented Akisame out loud for Sakaki to hear.

"Hoo, it looks like his story about us being his master becomes much more obvious as he fights," grinned Kensei.

After Kenichi's simultaneous attack to the face and stomach, the _**Yamazuki**_ , was blocked, Kenichi decided it was time to switch it up once more as well. Akisame sent a fist out just for Kenichi to dodge it and attempt the attack he had recreated from Shigure, **_Shutou Muzan._**

"Ah! That's my move!" smiled Shigure in glee. She had her doubts that she was one of his masters, as he didn't seem to carry any weapons, but seeing this move cleared those doubts.

"Heeya!" shouted Kenichi as he swapped to Kensei's personality, along with Chinese Kenpo.

"I don't say that!" fretted Kensei.

"Actually, you do," chuckled the Elder.

"Alright, that's enough," declared Akisame as he grabbed Kenichi's wrist and threw him into the floor before he could react. A fist stopped right before his eyes before Kenichi could recover.

"I believe I win."

Truthfully, Akisame wanted to see a bit more, but at the cost of being laughed at when Kenichi would inevitably copy him wasn't worth it.

"I see you've already begun trying to copy my pink muscle build," commented Akisame as Kenichi washed off his sweat with a towel while Miu tended to his bruises. He could tell from a glance at Kenichi's naked chest as well as during the fight.

"Yea, I was hoping to create a better base for you all to work with," admitted Kenichi, "Last time, I wasn't even strong enough to open the door when I first entered Ryozanpaku."

"Hmm, then I can easily modify my plans," said Akisame with a gleam as he began writing in his notes, "The basic training I originally thought of before we started this fight can be increased by tenfold!"

"That'll have to be put on hold," said the Elder as he hands descended down on Miu and shivering Kenichi, who was suffering traumatic flashbacks, "I want to take them to Yamigadani. (Dark Valley, or to the heart of Japan) Ken-chan still needs to work on his Ki while I believe it's time I took a deeper look at my granddaughter's ki training. At the very least, I want Ken-chan to be able to hide his ki levels so other masters won't get the wrong idea and attempt to sway him to their side."

'Especially if what they said was true,' added the Elder in his mind, 'I'm not letting Kushinada nor Jenazad corrupt them if they get the chance. I know they'll take the chance to kidnap these two if they found out about their Ki levels and future knowledge.'

Miu and Kenichi gulped in slight fear but agreed. A call back to the Shirahama resident and a crying Mototsuga hanging up, Kenichi would be using the summer break to train with Miu and the Elder. Niijima gave his goodbyes while plotting on how to increase his influence with Kenichi holding him back.

* * *

The Elder, Kenichi, and Miu made their way to the train station where they rode it for three hours, then went on a bus for two, and finally began just running towards the location for a good hour. Kenichi had been training himself hard that he could keep up with Miu's speed until she started to use _**Nanba Hashiri**_ , swinging her hand and legs at the same time. Slowly but surely, he started to lag behind until the Elder decided to pick both of them up and carried them the rest of the way, deciding it would be faster.

"For a person who trained himself, not bad," chuckled the Elder, complementing Kenichi as his two passengers clung on to him for their life, "Remind me to teach you the running technique. It might help you a bit in the future."

When they finally arrived, Kenichi took a good look around, remembering his time here.

"Never thought I'd be here again," gasped Kenichi.

"It's my first time here!" admitted Miu.

Kenichi blinked in surprise and was about to ask a question when the Elder answered it before it could be asked.

"There are other places similar to the Black Valley. However, I've never pushed Miu too hard on her Dou Ki as it was rather immense for her age and quite unstable."

Kenichi quickly recalled back at the island during the DFOD, where Miu went on a rampage and winced. He had been very lucky to shock her back by using Ma-shifu's Memory Recovery Technique... which involved groping Miu's breasts. Of course, he had enjoyed it immensely even though he had been kicked in the face hard. They felt so soft and firm... then he made a quick note not to tell the Elder about what he had to do to bring Miu back that time. Kenichi didn't want to be maimed beyond belief.

"Ah wait!" snapped Kenichi, "I know I met Ogata here! Isn't it dangerous to bring us so close to one of Yami's fighters?"

"As far as I know, nobody is currently residing here," replied the Elder, "Remember, Ogata never killed Mayu and Tsutomu's child. I believe in your old timeline he came here to live in self-exile for killing the child, even though he or she was still a fetus."

Kenichi sighed a breath of relief for a only a moment before he remembered that he was in a dangerous place with the Elder.

"Now then!" declared the Elder as his eyes began to glow, seemingly firing short-range lasers, "The both of you will have one mission! Survive!"

Both Miu and Kenichi gulped as Choju Giga animals scurried away.

 _20 days later_

Kenichi and Miu dragged their bodies back to camp and fell face forward near the firepit. The Elder hadn't been joking when he told them to do their best to survive.

"Get up," said the Elder, poking both of them with a stick, "You'll need to eat first. The two of you should have food you gathered, right? I'm not going to get food for the two of you."

They groaned but picked themselves up to grab some food they had left in the storage they had built. Kenichi, with his knowledge of edible plants and spices due to his 'How to survive in the wilderness' books, managed to gather some herbs, fruits, and fishes while Miu seasoned the food and cooked them.

While they were eating, Kenichi raised a question that had been nagging him when he saw the Elder teaching Miu how to wield her Dou Ki and showing her an example of an extreme Dou Ki technique.

"Elder, what type of Ki do you have? I originally thought you had Sei Ki because you taught me _**Seikuken**_ and the advanced form of it, _**Ryusui Seikuken**_ , but I also saw you using Dou Ki while teaching Miu. Can you use both?"

The Elder grinned as he chewed on the bones of his fish, "Normally I don't really tell others, but since you've seen me use both, I suppose I could tell you. What I use isn't Sei Ki or Dou Ki, but rather a slight mixture of both, though it's more Dou based. I call it Ga Ki. That's the reason why I'm able to use the advanced form of Seikuken."

"Is that what Ogata is looking for?" asked Kenichi, "A fusion of both?"

"No," rejected the Elder, "As I said, Ga Ki is more Dou based. If I had to say, it's 70% Dou and 30% Sei, mixed in with my special breathing techniques. From what you've told me about him, he pursues an even mixture of both Dou and Sei, his technique called _**Seidou Goitsu**_ (Sei and Dou Roar as One). It uses a 50/50 split, gathering Ki inwards before exploding them outwards. A very dangerous technique that could be described as putting firecrackers within a glass container. The person will be given an explosive boost to his or her power. I'd say the power gained during that technique is maybe multiplied by three, but it'll destroy the body. Even I would succumb to it, though I'd say I would be able to use it for at least an hour without harming my body."

Both disciples nodded at that, though Kenichi was wondering about something deeper.

"Would it be... possible for me to learn the basics of Dou Ki?" asked Kenichi.

Both the Elder and Miu gaped at Kenichi's outrageous suggestion.

"Why would you want that!?" gasped Miu, "Would it even be possible?"

"The last time I met Ogata back at the amusement park, he mentioned how it was possible for me to use Dou Ki," replied Kenichi.

"And why?" asked the Elder in a somber tone.

"Because of my friend Ryuuto," replied Kenichi with a serious tone, "He used _**Seidou Goitsu**_ and it destroyed his body. Back when I fought Satomi Kajima, I managed to fix his ki channels when I defeated him. However, he was using pure Dou Ki, so I only needed to focus on one type of Ki. Ryuuto will most likely use that move once more, and I'm not sure if I can help if I have to deal with two Ki types running amok in his body. I know I can defeat him as I am now, but I need to be able to understand how the two Ki's work against each other. I don't want him to suffer all those injuries he inflicted on himself. Not only could he not use his legs for a year, but his hair turned white and his right eye turned black. If I can, I want to be able to defeat him while making sure all those self-inflicted injuries never happen."

"Kenichi..," whispered Miu as she hugged him.

The Elder couldn't help but grin at this answer. When Kenichi asked to learn about Dou Ki, he was worried that Kenichi wanted to pursue more power. This answer that he got, though, was more than enough to put those worries to rest. To defeat his enemy without truly harming or killing them, to save others at the risk of his life, it was truly Katsujinken. The Elder had no doubt that this man would never stray away from the path.

Then he noticed that Miu and Kenichi were way too close for his liking.

"HEY! I DIDN'T GIVE PERMISSION TO BE THAT CLOSE!" yelled the Elder before splitting them apart once more.

Finally, the month-long training trip was over and the trio was headed back to Ryozanpaku. The Elder decided to teach Kenichi the basics of Dou Ki but made him promise never to attempt to use Seidou Goitsu. Miu and Kenichi fell asleep during the bus drive, their heads leaning against each other. Miu's head resting on his shoulder comfortably while Kenichi had his head on top of hers.

"Just this once," grumbled the Elder as he sat down on the other side, watching them.

As the bus traveled down the road towards the train station, another bus was heading the other way, passing each other. In that bus was Ryuto Asami and Ogata Isshinsai, whom Ryuto called Kensei.

"Kensei-sama, where are we headed to and why?" asked Ryuto.

"We're heading to Yamigadani to train," smiled Ogata, "It's time I taught you a special technique I've invented recently. You've learned about Sei Ki, it's time for you to learn the other spectrum, Dou Ki, and then use them together."

"Will this make me stronger?" asked Ryuto with greed in his eyes.

"Immensely," nodded Ogata, "It's a trump card for sure if you are tied or losing. Use this technique only for those situations, though. A trump card is useless if played too often."

What he didn't tell him was that he was using him as a guinea pig to see what happened if both Ki's were used and the time limit, but Ryuto didn't need to know that.

* * *

"Welcome back my important pie-, I mean friend!" cackled Niijima as the second semester of their third year in junior high school started, "My, you look tired!"

"I'm sore all over," groaned Kenichi as he slouched on his desk, waiting for homeroom to begin. When he got back and signed the contract to study at their dojo for 5000 yen a month, Akisame had plans and inventions ready for him. Being able to have a whole month in advance certainly allowed him to be creative with his inventions, half of which helped lower Ryozanpaku's electric bills.

"Good for you," nodded Niijima, not really caring about that. He was used to him complaining back in their old timeline, and knew that Kenichi didn't really hate his training, "Meanwhile, I've got my information network back up, my website almost completed, and having been tracking multiple Ragnarok members."

"You haven't actually gone spying on them, have you?" frowned Kenichi, "The last time you did that in the past, you got caught and almost shipped to who knows where. You got lucky the freighter freaked about some alien vision and crashed the ship into the nearest shore to escape."

"Yea, I don't remember either," frowned Niijima. He remembered freeing himself thanks to some mice chewing his ropes and being thirsty. He had quickly found something that looked like grape juice and drank it before everything became a blur before ending up at a beach, where Apachai managed to locate him with the use of seagulls. He had no idea he was the main reason for the crash.

"But no, I'm not the one spying," continued Niijima, waving off the blurry memory, "I have an inside man already."

"Isn't that dangerous for them?" asked Kenichi, "Any of the Fists in Ragnarok could punish them if they found it."

"Oh come, Kenichi, you foolish boy," grinned Niijima, "Do you not remember who was my most faithful servant of all?"

Kenichi blinked for a second before slamming his hands on the desk in surprise, "You recruited Siegfried already?! Isn't that dangerous for him? What if they find out he's the spy?"

"Shhh," hushed Niijima, "And I trust Siegfried will be careful. He did counterspy on those Russian soldiers without them even noticing him during our camping trip. I doubt a bunch of teenagers will be able to. Not to mention, he's in the midst of convincing Thor to defect to the Shinpaku Alliance when it's time."

"Alright, but don't do anything stupid that could risk their lives," hissed Kenichi.

"Of course! I only go forward with my plans if I have a high chance success rate," huffed Niijima, "I'm not an idiot planner like Loki."

* * *

Back at Ragnarok's hideout, Loki sneezed and almost gave away what he hand in his hand while playing poker with others.

* * *

Soon, graduation was upon them all in a flash. Niijima's rank fell down to 10th while Kenichi managed to achieve the top position, though he did feel guilty that he had high school knowledge already. It also helped that Miu forced him to study when they hung out together. Niijima was too busy managing his future empire to care about grades too much. Much to their school teacher's displeasure, though, they couldn't convince any of them to switch away from Koryo High School.

Miu looked to see her grandfather and the rest of Ryozanpaku attending her graduation ceremony and waved at them, wishing dearly her father could've been here. Everyone at Ryozanpaku was family, but ever since she learned her father truly loved her mother and her, she wished she could've spent some more time with her real parents. She would have dreams every now and then about a life where they were still alive. As she went to talk with her friends, a man passed by the Elder and slipped a very expensive cat doll for the phone into the Elder's hands. It was a limited edition accessory doll, with only 100 of them available in the whole world.

"You sure you don't want to see her now that we know the truth?" rumbled the Elder, using his special technique _ **Obstructive Lung Voice**_ to make sure nobody heard him.

"I don't know how you got the truth or how you even found me, but it's too early," replied the man back, using the same technique. After all, it was a technique that Saiga Fuurinji learned from his father.

"My hands are too stained to carry Miu anymore," continued Saiga, "I've not seen her in years, and revealing myself now would just put her at risk. Not to mention, I don't deserve to hold her."

The Elder merely nodded at his son, who was in disguise.

"I am disappointed that you decided on Satsujinken, but at least I know the truth that you are not the heartless son that I have no hope for, but rather the misguided son that I hope to bring back."

Saiga merely chuckled, "The deaths I have caused... some I regret, some I had no choice. And don't try to tell me otherwise father, I made my decision. My goal now is to find Senzui and bring him down. Someday, you'll tell me how you figured everything out. I thought for sure you wouldn't believe me even if I told you, and I know for a fact Senzui would never tell you, and try to push his lie to the world as the truth."

"It is not my secret to tell, and I was not the one who discovered it," replied the Elder, "But perhaps someday soon, maybe even a year from now, we will be able to come together once again. And maybe you who have walked both paths will make your final choice."

Saiga merely nodded as he watched his daughter hug some of her friends, wiping a tear from his eyes as he gazed at her.

"She looks so much like her mother, despite her hair and eye color," lamented Saiga, "She'll be as beautiful as her soon. Until then, I'll continue my work from the shadows. Take her of her for me."

"I would do so regardless of what you said," replied the Elder.

With that, Saiga left the school, having witnessed his daughter's graduation without her ever knowing.

* * *

"So, it all begins here," declared Kenichi as the trio were on the rooftops of Ryozanpaku during midnight. Niijima had been lifted up there by Apachai, and all three would be sleeping over for a day, as there were a few days left before they would enter Koryo High School.

"The beginning of everything," nodded Miu.

"The start of the Shinpaku Alliance and my glorious empire!" cackled Niijima, causing Kenichi and Miu to elbow him in the stomach.

"I mean, the start of all our friends," coughed Niijima as he corrected himself.

"And this time, we will protect everyone!" shouted Kenichi, clenching his fist towards the night sky.

"Yea!" shouted Niijima and Miu in agreement, following his lead.

"Yomi, Yami, and everybody else look out! We're coming in!"

* * *

 **And thus starts the beginning of the story! We're done with all the prologue and now heading into chapter 1 of the manga! Just how different will it be? Find out next time!**

 **As I've said, I am looking for a Beta Reader for this. PM me if you're interested.**

 **Yes, the Elder's chosen Ki is indeed called Ga Ki. It's Dou based, though it does bring up just how he's able to use Sei techniques. In short, I think it's a mixture of both, but rather than 50/50 like Seido Gaototsu, it's more likely 70-30.**

 **It is possible for Kenichi to use Dou Ki. Ogata himself told Kenichi that it was possible for Kenichi to learn it even though he's Sei based. Most likely any fighter can use both Ki's, but most choose the one they are more attuned to. Possible chance for Kenichi to create his own type of Ki in the future maybe.**

 **Someone asked why I didn't update this fic often for a fresh new fic. Well I am currently juggling 3 other fics, one of them I'm actually behind on due to muse not working for that story. Not to mention I have other things to do. But I do promise this one will be updated at least once a month, maybe a month and 2 days.**

 **Let's see, other rants...**

 **Called it. FF15 is planning to release season 2 with a possible 'happy' ending. Man Square Enix is just doing DLC crap, squeezing money from all. Hope they don't do that for KH3 and release the full game. DLC with alternate costume or small side stories I can accept, but a full chapter and alt ending is ... bleh.**

 **I should probably write out my ff15 story soon... so others don't say I copied... maybe they copied other writers who made their own...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Lo and behold, a new chapter! Finally we're getting into where the manga started! Like I said, some things will be different.**

 **And let's thank my two beta readers for this story, ZShaw and TheReader2011, for going through and correcting mistakes I might've made.**

 **Anways these earlier fights... let's face it, it's going to be a stomp.**

 **Enough chatting, let's get this story started! I'll talk more at the end of the chapter.  
**

* * *

"So how do we do this?" asked Niijima.

They were finally at Koryou High School, and thankfully they were all in the same class, class 1-A. Tanimoto Natsu was also in their class and Kenichi made a point to greet him. Natsu gave his princely smile and greeted him back, causing quite a few girls in the class to swoon over him.

Of course, inside Natsu's mind was the burning rage to smack that smile off of Kenichi. He still hadn't forgiven him for forcing him to listen through 'The Talk'. Though he did need to ask Kenichi about those books, as he sure as hell wasn't going to give his sister the talk. That, or ask Kenichi's mother Saori to do it for him. Since Honoka was Kaede's best friend, they often spent time at Kenichi's house with Saori watching over them. Natsu at least trusted her enough to do the birds and bee stuff.

And so, the trio was currently at the roof during lunch to discuss their plans. Miu had thrown away her braided hair and glasses, showing her true self. This, of course, drew quite a bit of attention from the whole student population. Quite a few males were jealous when she opted to sit next to Kenichi and Niijima and drew closer to Kenichi. Most people thought they were merely childhood friends and hoped to cut in somehow. It was a week into high school and Kenichi had already moved into Ryozanpaku after convincing his parents to allow him to do so. What he didn't know was that his father had tried to find and visit the dojo with his trusty shotgun, something Saori quickly stopped.

"Well we're not attacking the gangs," snapped Kenichi, "That's the opposite of what Miu and I were taught, to protect people, not to attack others."

"Well it'll be harder to get Ragnarok's attention, as well as making sure we can still predict what happens down the timeline," retorted Niijima, "Club recruitment starts today, so we have to do something unless you're willing to be a punching bag for a bit."

"Hell no!"

"We can't afford to wait a month either!"

As Kenichi and Niijima were discussing the next step, the bell rang, signifying the end of lunch period.

"We can discuss this more after school," declared Miu, breaking up the argument.

"Fine, but we should've talked about this earlier," muttered Niijima, "Can't believe I forgot about it."

"Miu and I aren't going to provoke people to fight us," lectured Kenichi, "Did you forget the reason why I even started martial arts in the first place? It was in order to gain strength and courage to protect the people and values most important to me."

"Yeah, yeah," waved Niijima, "Just gotta find the proper reaction."

As they were walking in the halls, the proper reaction Niijima had been waiting for came in the form of Makoto Daimonji.

Daimonji was wearing a shirt that fully showed off his muscles, and he flexed them when Miu and the others walked by. The reason for doing so was that he was hoping to impress Miu. She had unknowingly become a school idol as an exotic beauty with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She was certainly a rarity in Japan, just like Natsu. Not to mention, she had some rather sizable assets, along with being one of the smartest in her grade, making her all the more attractive. Of course, it failed as the trio walked right past him, so Daimonji elected to take a more direct approach to express his interests and placed his hand on Miu's shoulder from behind.

The world suddenly seemed to spin for Daimonji as he felt his feet no longer touching the ground. He was so shocked that he had left the ground that he barely registered the pain as he landed on his back. Miu had taken his hand and done an overhead throw, using it as leverage.

This was witnessed by many students, and while Miu apologized, the rumors were spreading. Of course, rumors tended to get distorted, and when it finally reached a certain leader of a group affiliated with Ragnarok, it was completely different. Nanjo Kisara, a rather cute female with a slender frame and red hair, who was also a second year of Koryou High School, was the one who heard it. The version she heard was that the potential recruit Daimonji had been destroyed by a bishoujo named Furinji Miu after she challenged him. Normally, she wouldn't have been interested until she heard it was a female fighter. Daimonji may have been someone to potentially scout, but he wasn't of much interest.

"Hoo, another female," grinned Kisara, "Might be interesting to have her in my gang. Better pick her up before the Valkyries decide they want her on their team."

"Do we have a photo of her?" Taichi Koga, aka Koga the Kicker, one of the Technique Trio under Kisara's rule, eagerly asked.

"Shameless," scoffed Kozo Ukita, aka Ukita the Thrower, the second member of the Technique Trio.

The last member of the Technique Trio, Ikki Takeda, aka Takeda the Puncher, just remained silent at this.

"No photo yet, but I'm sure we can get one soon," offered Shiratori, Kisara's right hand woman, though the fact that she was a woman wasn't very well known to the guys.

"Get one fast so we can track her down," commanded Kisara, "And get me Tsukuba. Tell him to test her skills."

* * *

"Nooo!" cried Miu, her eyes turning giant and filling with tears as she heard the rumors that now circulated the school after only a week and a half.

According to Niijima, the school now thought of her as a wolf in sheep's clothing. A beast that lurked inside the beauty, preying on those foolish enough to woo her. Now her fellow classmates in the gymnastics club all tended to avoid her. Kenichi was once again in the gardening club with only one other fellow member, and Niijima opted for the Go Home Club, though he usually spent his time trying to spread his influence.

'And I didn't even do anything to propagate this,' Niijima thought as Kenichi was comforting Miu. 'Guess beating someone in public as well as being a female fired it up.'

"Now, now, we all know you're not a bully," comforted Kenichi, "Would it help if I got you some anmitsu after school today? We could go to the pet store after to play with the kittens."

Miu nodded in reply, drying her tears. Sadly, things would not go the way the two had planned for the afternoon.

"Hold it!"

Miu and Kenichi were just about to leave the school premises when they were confronted by Daimonji once more.

"You... You humiliated me!" roared Daimonji in anger at Miu.

"I said I was sorry!" replied Miu. "It's just a natural instinct that anyone who tries to touch me from behind gets thrown!"

"I can vouch for that," added Kenichi.

"Shut it, weakling nerd," snapped Daimonji. "This bitch owes me a favor! I want a date from her! And you, you can just do my homework while we go on the date!"

Kenichi's eyebrow twitched in anger as he tried to keep calm. Daimonji was a jerk, yes, but when he finally had a taste of being a punching bag and being bullied in the future, he turned out to be a decent person. Still, Miu was his girlfriend, and there was no way he wasn't going to defend her.

"Daimonji, fuck off," said another voice.

They looked to see Saizo Tsukuba had arrived.

"You lost once and you try to threaten them? Shameless, and here I thought you'd be of great potential to the Karate Club when you expressed interest."

"Tsukuba-senpai! I was just here to regain my honor!"

While the two of them were arguing, Kenichi and Miu tried to sneak away. However, Tsukuba saw them and told them to stop.

"While Daimonji is an idiot, I'm actually here to test your skills, Fuurinji Miu," said Tsukuba. "Kisara has asked me to see if you're worthy of joining her crew."

"Not interested," pouted Miu. "C'mon Kenichi, I want my anmitsu."

"Don't walk away!" roared Daimonji as he pushed Tsukuba to the side and threw his hand forward to grab Miu.

Before Tsukuba could retaliate and punch Daimonji in the ribs for the push, Kenichi reacted by scattering the grab with a right-hand swipe before putting his left palm up and pushing Daimonji's chest. The result was Daimonji landing flat on his back on the cold, hard ground. Tsukuba raised his eyebrow and stood back to observe the events.

"Grrr, that was a lucky push," growled Daimonji. "Now eat my DAIMONJI KICK!"

Daimonji used all his strength to do a soccer kick towards Kenichi, hoping it would send him flying. To both Kenichi and Miu, Daimonji's kick was in slow motion, as he wasn't even kicking properly, just using brute strength and had no real rotation on his hips. Kenichi responded by ducking under it before pushing Daimonji's leg up with his hands.

"Wait wait I can't stretch that HIIGHH!" screeched Daimonji, his pitch going an octave higher at the last word. Being a man who focused on pure muscles and not on flexibility, as well as being taller than most people, he had never kicked higher than his own belly button. Kenichi was holding Daimonji hostage by pushing his captive leg up a bit, just slightly above his own head.

"One, apologize to Miu, and two, stop bothering us! Otherwise, I will get mad!" snapped Kenichi.

"Why should I apologize nerd, I-" started Daimonji before Kenichi had another muscle tick on his forehead and pushed his captive leg higher.

"OKAY OKAY I'M SOWWY!" cried Daimonji, tears streaming form his eyes.

"Sorry to whom?" asked Kenichi.

"I'M SOWWY FUURINJI MIU! I SHOULDN'T HAVE LASHED OUT ON YOU LIKE THAT!"

Satisfied, Kenichi pushed the offending leg away causing Daimonji to land back on his butt. Miu and Kenichi were about to leave when their pathway was blocked by Tsukuba once more.

"Hold it!" said Tsukuba. "I still need to test out the girl's skill, and apparently, your skill as well, boy! Not quite sure how we missed you, but I'm sure Kisara would like to see you too. Not to mention, you seem pretty strong, and I get so excited when I meet someone strong, I just can't help but want to fight them! Shall we dance, boy?"

Kenichi glanced at Miu who just shrugged. The two of them looked in the distance to see that Niijima was already recording everything. They sighed, knowing this would probably be plastered on the school walls by tomorrow morning. Such a shamelessly bad friend, and yet they still hung out with him for some reason. Nonetheless, it would attract Ragnarok's attention and push them along the timeline.

"My name is Shirahama Kenichi!" said Kenichi as he passed his school bag to Miu.

"Name's Saizo Tsukuba," grinned Tsukuba as he got into a boxing position and started to lightly hop on the balls of his feet. "Let's rumble!" With that, he dashed forward.

'Might as well review some basic moves,' thought Kenichi as he put his two fists near the waist of his body on the right, 'Let's see, **_Yamazuki_**!'

As expected, his left fist sunk into Tsukuba's stomach. However, he was surprised to see his right fist slam into Tsukuba's face.

Tsukuba was an experienced brawler, so to speak, and had fought against normal people, or rather, low-level disciple classes. However, he was completely unprepared for the speed of Kenichi's attack, and couldn't even react fast enough to block or dodge the attack towards the face. Kenichi underestimated the amount of training he had undergone, as well as the usual life-threatening spars he had with Apachai and the other masters, but Apachai especially. Apachai had thought that because Kenichi knew him and was experienced, he could go all out. That caused mass panic as Kenichi once again almost died, thus almost ruining their whole plan.

Daimonji, who was still conscious and watching, felt his jaw drop as Tsukuba flew back into the streets and landed out cold on the pavement.

"Kenichi!" hissed Miu, "You put too much strength in that move! You need to control that! You don't want to be like Apachai, do you?"

"Crap, sorry," apologized Kenichi, quickly running over to Tsukuba and feeling his pulse, "Good, it just seems like he's knocked out cold. But you're right, I'm too used to sparring with you and the masters. I need to learn to make sure I don't hit too hard."

Miu also quickly checked Tsukuba's pulse and felt it going strong, though he wouldn't be waking up soon.

"Let's drag him to that bench over there and let him rest there," suggested Miu, "You still owe me some anmitsu, and later we have to go grocery shopping."

"Haaiii!" sang Kenichi as the two of them walked away after putting Tsukuba's body on the bench, using his own school bag as a pillow.

A Choujuu Giga bunny and toad hopped past a shocked Daimonji as crows began to crow above him.

* * *

"I should've expected this," sighed Kenichi as the next day rolled by just to see flyers everywhere about Kenichi defeating Tsukuba and Daimonji in one go. Niijima was working overtime for this one, having no guilty conscience about doing so to Kenichi. Miu was a slightly different case, as he didn't want to do so to a girl, along with the fact that her grandfather could tear him apart. He wasn't taking any chances against that man.

"I'm sure it'll get better," soothed Miu. The good thing about this was the rumor about Miu being a beast had all but disappeared, and now it was Kenichi who was protecting his 'princess' so to speak. In short, a power couple was born. Top of their middle school as well as being strong, it was something that spread quite fast.

"Hold that thought while I go throttle Niijima," said Kenichi as he dashed towards the source of all the noise and flyers. Seconds later, everyone could hear Niijima's maniacal laughter as Kenichi chased him throughout the school.

Back in a classroom occupied by Kisara and her gang, she was reading through the news about the defeat of their recruiter.

"Shirahama Kenichi," mused Kisara, "Another person we could recruit. And any luck with the photo of Fuurinji Miu?"

"Right here, milady," said Shiratori as she gave Kisara a photo of Miu and Kenichi that she had procured.

"Hmm, he seems pretty plain looking," mumbled Kisara, looking at a photo of Kenichi before swapping to Miu. A second later, a tick seemed to develop on her forehead.

"Don't want her," declared Kisara as she threw the photo away.

'Oh dear, I thought that this might happen,' sighed Shiratori, knowing just why Miu had been discarded. The photo she had received from other people sneaking photos of her was mainly showing just how... sizeable her assets were. And Kisara had a jealousy streak about any girls with a big bust.

"Hey, she looks cute!" grinned Koga, "And she's got big breasts! If you don't want her, I'll claim her!"

"Whatever," waved Kisara, "You three grab the boy and bring him here. I don't care what happens to the girl."

The Technique Trio nodded and left the classroom, intent on finding Kenichi during lunch time and bringing him in. Or so that was the plan.

When the trio entered class 1-A, many of the students began to cower away from them. The trio ignored this and looked around to see Kenichi and Miu absent from the class.

"Hey! Anyone seen Shirahama Kenichi!?" shouted Ukita.

"Umm..." was heard as one hand was raised. It was Tanimoto Natsu.

"Speak up!" barked Ukita.

"Yeah pretty boy," said Koga, "Unless you want your face beaten up."

Natsu's eyebrow twitched as Koga began to tease him, wishing he could just shut him up. He would need to put a reminder for himself to beat Koga black and blue when he was in his Hermit uniform. Luckily, his fangirls got over their fear and started yell and threaten Koga. Koga began to falter under the assault of fangirls and tried to respond when Takeda elbowed Ukita and tilted his head towards Koga. Ukita nodded and put his hand over Koga's mouth to stop him from talking while Takeda stepped forward.

"Sorry about him," apologized Takeda with a winning smile, "But we're just interested in where Shirahama Kenichi is, as well as Fuurinji Miu."

"I hear that they like to eat on the rooftops, along with their friend Haruo Niijima," replied Natsu, "You're not going to hurt them, are you?"

"Relax, we just want to talk to them," said Takeda, "Thanks for the help."

With that, the trio left the classroom.

"Natsu-sama! You're so brave!" cheered one of the fangirls.

As Natsu smiled and waved, inside his mind, he smirked. He had long suspected Kenichi had some sort of martial arts training and had wanted to ask him that night at his house. He suspected the same with Miu but didn't push it. Natsu saw Kenichi on and off due to their little sisters being best friends, but Natsu avoided Kenichi if he could while also trying to plot how to beat the shit out of him without anyone noticing. He still blamed him for that talk, but he didn't have an idea just how strong Kenichi was. When he first saw Kenichi again in high school, he could tell Kenichi had undergone special training with a master. Tsukuba and Daimonji were poor tools to use to measure his strength, but perhaps with the use of the Technique Trio together, he could get an estimate. Natsu wrote down in his notes to follow the trio in his Hermit uniform.

* * *

"I think we should've asked which rooftop," said Ukita as they went to the nearest one just to find it empty.

"I'm sure we'll find them," said Takeda until the bell rang, signifying lunch period had ended, "Oh well, maybe next time."

"Why not after class?" asked Koga.

"We're in no real rush, and we also have other gangs to fight for power, remember," stated Takeda, "Taking turf is more important than recruitment for now.

They kept trying, but it wasn't until almost three weeks later did they finally decide to corner them after class.

The Technique Trio finally caught Kenichi and Miu coming out of class.

"Haha! Finally caught you!" declared Koga on a Thursday afternoon after school, "Think you could escape us?"

"Escape?" asked Kenichi and Miu, both tilting their heads.

"Yeah, escape!" said Koga, "You know, because we were looking for you!"

"Err, nobody told us you were looking for us," replied Miu.

For the trio, it felt like they were panned with an anvil at this reply, but quickly recovered.

"Well then, come follow us!" commanded Ukita.

"Err can we do this another time?" asked Kenichi.

"What, got something important?" asked Takeda.

"Actually yes," nodded Kenichi, "I need to head home to babysit my sister and her friend today. My mother is on a small trip and won't be back home till Friday. Miu is actually coming over to help cook."

"Bah they can wait," scoffed Koga, "We need test ou-"

"Friday will be fine," interrupted Takeda, "Just don't expect us to be so... patient."

"Takeda! Why are you being so lenient?" complained Koga. Ukita nodded in surprise, his sunglasses glinting in the sun.

"You heard him. He has other priorities first and we can't stop that," waved Takeda, "It's not like we can't wait till Friday. But if you don't show up on Friday... well then let's just hope it doesn't come down to that."

Behind them all, Natsu face-palmed. He had forgotten he had asked his little sister Kaede to sleep over at Honoka's house, as much as he didn't want his sister to be near them. He himself would be occupied at work and with Ragnarok, as there had been discussions about expanding the Seven Fists of Ragnarok. They had been planning to fumigate the house to kill off any pests that were residing in the walls. Normally, if Natsu were living alone, he wouldn't have really cared, but with Kaede still living, he made sure the house was clean and free of pests as much as possible. Kaede's health was much better now, but she still had some tendencies to cough a bit. So Natsu made sure their living quarters were as clean as possible to allow his little sister to live in it with no problems.

Originally, even if Kenichi weaseled his way out, he would've egged Koga to attack Kenichi. Now he had to protect him until at least Friday before he could safely ascertain his skill level, something that grinded harshly against him.

'I can't wait to beat you to a pulp,' thought Natsu before quickly sneaking away.

* * *

Friday soon arrived, and the Trio had ditched class to wait right outside Kenichi's class so he wouldn't escape. Seeing no escape, Miu and Kenichi were escorted to a nearby empty parking lot, where quite a few delinquents belonging to Ragnarok were waiting.

"Since you made us wait so long," said Takeda as if he was talking about the weather, "We decided to ensure that you wouldn't run away."

With a snap of his fingers, he revealed he had Yuka Izumi, Shimayama, and Tanaka.

"Izumi!" yelled Kenichi in worry, as she was his only friend/member in the gardening club. Niijima remained nowhere to be seen, which meant they probably didn't catch him. However, he had no idea why Shimayama and Tanaka were being held 'hostage'. In the past timeline, he was, at best, acquaintances with the two boys. Not to mention, they had been bullies before. In this timeline, he had never even spoken to them.

"Yeah we nabbed the girl because she's a member, or rather, the only other member in the gardening club," grinned Ukita.

"We would've taken Natsu Tanimoto too if it wasn't for his fangirls," shuddered Koga, "And Niijima just disappeared before we could grab him."

"And these two claimed that they were best friends with you," piped Takeda, pointing at Shimayama and Tanaka.

"Help us!" cried Tanaka.

"You misunderstood us!" wailed Shimayama, "We said we should become his friends! We wanted to get closer to Miu because he seemed so close to her!"

"You mean we took you two for nothing!?" shouted Ukita before tossing the two useless hostages behind him, where they scampered away. The grunts went to give chase, but Kenichi told them to stop and let them go.

"Well, least we still have one," shrugged Takeda, "You know the saying, 'Don't put all your eggs in multiple baskets'."

"That's put your eggs in one basket," sweatdropped Ukita.

"Yeah, that one!"

"Hold up, I wanna go first!" shouted a voice. The owner of the voice stepped forward to reveal himself to be Daimonji. "I owe the nerd a heavy pounding of 'Daimonji justice' for humiliating me like that! He just got lucky that he caught me unprepared. And I want that girl behind him."

"Hey you can't do that," said Koga, "I said I was going to claim her! Go find somebody else!"

The two of them started to bicker, though Daimonji was starting to cower when Kenichi had had enough. He was getting sick and tired of other people trying to claim HIS girl! Not only that, but they had also involved poor innocent Izumi into this!

It angered him that Takeda and Ukita would pull this stunt, but he tried to breathe in deeply, knowing they were good people and friends in the future.

"You want to fight me? Then let Izumi go!" shouted Kenichi, getting into a fighting stance.

"Ha, why would we do that?" laughed Koga as he turned away from Daimonji, "She's a good hos- hey wait?"

Koga's voice turned into confusion as Takeda nodded his head and told the others to let her go. Izumi quickly ran away from them all, scared for her life.

"You see that?" pointed Takeda, "That's what friends do. They abandon you just to save their own butts. It's better to not make friends, otherwise, you'll just lose everything!"

Takeda's eyes narrowed in anger, and Kenichi knew Takeda was still hurting from the past where he lost all sense of movement in his left arm.

"You're wrong," stated Kenichi, but before he could say anything else, Daimonji attacked.

"Die!" roared Daimonji, throwing his strongest punch at Kenichi.

Miu immediately jumped back while Kenichi shifted right to dodge it.

"Where'd he go?" said Daimonji with a rather stupid tone, having been used to his opponents never dodging his attacks.

Kenichi responded by launching a kidney shot, forcing Daimonji to kneel in shock, his mouth open in a silent scream, before getting kneed in the temple, knocking him out.

"Hoo, he's not a noobie," said Takeda.

"I'm next! Once I kick his ass, the girl's mine!" shouted Koga as he rushed forward, firing off multiple kicks.

Miu had been watching the fight when one of the delinquents tried to attack her from behind, hoping to catch her in a hold and perhaps 'accidentally' fondle her breasts. Miue instinctively reacted by throwing him to the ground.

"Get her!" shouted a grunt, and five more charged at her. Miu got into a fighting stance, glad that she had opted to wear her spandex under the uniform today.

"Hehe girl you better just listen to us if you don't want to get hurt," leered one of them before kicking a kick to the face.

* * *

"Not bad!" shouted Koga as Kenichi dodged his kicks, "But you can't dodge my kicks forever! I'm Koga the Kicker, the master of kicking!"

Just as he said this and tried to launch a round house at Kenichi's head, Kenichi spun and launched a reverse round house, going in the same direction as Koga's kick. His foot was on top of Koga's, where it was trapped against a wall that Kenichi had baited him to. Koga tried to free his leg, but it was firmly stuck.

"This isn't good, is it?" gulped Koga as he tried to punch Kenichi. Kenichi caught it and slowly lowered it down, overpowering him.

"Get him!" commanded Koga towards the other grunts with them. Takeda and Ukita, who had been watching, sighed at Koga's situation and looked towards the grunts, where all three of them were met with a sight they didn't believe could be possible.

Four grunts were already down and the fifth one was grappled by Miu, her legs around his neck and arms around his waist from behind. With a swift grunt, Miu lifted him up in the air, flipping him upside down and slammed him down into the floor.

The Technique Trio gulped at this... carnage before them as Choujuu Giga animals hopped past their heads, leaving a trail of dots.

"Monster!" screamed Koga trying to get free now, "Let me go! Takeda! Ukita! HELP!"

"That's rude, calling her a monster," sighed Takeda, "But she is one feisty honey."

Koga was still screaming, so Kenichi shut him up with a right straight in the face, knocking Koga out and letting him fall to the floor in a flop.

"Koga!" shouted Ukita as he charged forward with a roar and lifted Kenichi up in the air, trying to throw him into the floor as hard as he could. He didn't want to go against Miu, and admittedly, would feel really guilty if he did grab the girl and somehow ended up groping her. But before he could throw Kenichi, Kenichi had already escaped from his grip and snaked around his body. Ukita tried to pry him off, but Kenichi had wrapped his legs around Ukita's neck, and with a twist of his waist, threw Ukita into the floor, where he rolled away coughing. He looked up just in time to see Kenichi perform a back kick into his face, knocking him out and shattering his sunglasses.

"Hoo, you also know how to counter grapples," said Takeda with admiration, "But let's see how you face against me."

Being honest, he was a bit nervous and scared about fighting those two. He could see that they were clearly levels ahead of him, but he wasn't going to let that scare him off so easily. So he decided to challenge Kenichi first.

"Let's make this interesting," stated Takeda, trying to buy some time and advantage, and pulled out some chalk and a timer from his right pocket that he almost always carried. He quickly drew a boxing ring while setting the clock for three minutes.

"Three minutes per round, one minute break between rounds," said Takeda as he tossed the chalk in the air and shattered it with a right jab, "I'm a former boxer, so I'll just take you on with my right fist."

Takeda knew it wasn't enough, but he was hoping with his confidence they wouldn't call his bluff, and perhaps be slightly afraid of him. Kenichi and Miu glanced at each other, knowing the real reason why Takeda couldn't use his left hand.

"Fine, then I'll only use my right hand too, to make it fair," said Kenichi as he stepped in the ring.

"Don't regret it," warned Takeda, "You look like someone who also uses their legs to fight. I'll allow you to use them and throws."

"It's my choice to make," replied Kenichi.

"Heh, fine," said Takeda, "You know that friend of yours, Izumi, the one you protected by offering up to fight us, as well as the two others... have completely run away. If I was to describe your situation, I'd say... that's stupid. You may be confident, and probably do have the skills to back it up, but you're needlessly risking your own life. You can't always expect to come out on top forever."

"Maybe, but it's better than being a coward," frowned Kenichi.

"You say that now, but you'll soon be changing your tune," growled Takeda as Miu activated the clock to start the time. Takeda quickly explained the rules before rushing forward, throwing quick jabs to Kenichi's face.

All his jabs were blocked by Kenichi's palm, never hitting it's target. It was as if his attacks were all drawn to the palm of his hand.

'What's with this guy's defense?' thought Takeda, 'I can't get past it! It's like I'm literally hitting a wall!'

Kenichi had shifted his position so his right side was facing towards Takeda and activated his **_Seikuken_** , using his right hand only. Suddenly, he slapped Takeda's fist to the side and used the recoil to snap a jab into Takeda's face, landing perfectly on the nose.

Takeda recoiled from the hit and retreated to think of a new plan of attack.

"Okay, right, regular jabs don't work," muttered Takeda, "Let's see how he deals with flickers,"

Takeda may have stopped boxing, but it didn't stop him from learning a few techniques as he watched the pros. Takeda began to hang his right hand low at his waist and swung it back and forth like a pendulum, using the hitman style. A few seconds passed as he inched closer.

'Now!' thought Takeda as he let his right fist fly from the lower angle, hoping to surprise Kenichi and land a hit. The flicker jab flew up... and landed right into Kenichi's hand once more. Takeda tried it some more, but it was useless. Each one was somehow sucked straight into Kenichi's palm. Then Kenichi stepped forward and fired a right uppercut into Takeda's stomach. Takeda had his breath stolen away while he crumpled to the floor. Kenichi stepped back while Miu started to count down.

'Trying to out-box him ain't working, so let's try getting close then!' thought Takeda as he quickly got back up on the count of five. He rushed in only to meet a barrage of fists, repelling him from getting in close. Still, he pushed on, hoping to get inside Kenichi's guard. But his attempt failed, and he almost lost consciousness when Kenichi's fist stopped just centimeters from his face.

"What?" said Takeda in a daze.

"Three minutes just passed by!" called Miu, "Return to your corners!"

Takeda stood there frozen until Kenichi gently pushed him to his corner before walking to his. As seconds ticked by, Kenichi decided to try the same tactic he did last time and asked why he stopped boxing. Takeda looked a bit ticked off but decided to tell them his story anyways. About how he had been a promising rookie boxer, along with a friend named Akeshita, whom he thought of like a brother. Life had looked so promising until that fateful day when Akeshita had been surrounded by delinquents. He chastised himself for being so foolish and naive, rushing to help Akeshita even though he had his very first match as a pro boxer the next day. Because of the fight, he was unable to make it and was forced to abandon his dream while his friend all but abandoned him, continuing on his own without looking back.

"That's why friendship is stupid!" roared Takeda as one minute was up and charged forward, "Friends will just abandon you! Like that girl Izumi! She'll probably quit the club to avoid you! She ran away so she wouldn't be involved while you foolishly accepted a fight in return for her safety! I sacrificed my body to help a friend, and ended up with nothing! So what if you're strong? One day, you'll just end up like discarded trash if you keep trying to help others!"

Takeda somehow managed to get in close, adrenaline fueling his body as he ignored all of Kenichi's attacks.

'Let's see how you deal with a body shot!' thought Takeda as he used all his strength for an uppercut to the stomach.

The attack connected, and the two boys stayed still for a bit.

"OWWW!" shouted Takeda, "What the hell is your body made of?"

Takeda's punch had landed, but Kenichi had tightened his muscles and withstood the attack. He had survived worse, mainly from his masters. Still, the only reason he had let Takeda in was to allow him one punch to vent his feelings out.

Meanwhile, Takeda was slowly drawing his right hand back and trying to rid himself of the pain, clenching and unclenching his fist. He couldn't believe how hard Kenichi's body was! It felt like slamming his fist into a steel wall.

"Takeda-sempai," started Kenichi, "Your story is sad. But-"

"Don't lecture me," sighed Takeda, "Just finish it."

* * *

Kenichi raised his right hand for a chopping right when...

"UUWWWWOOOOOOOO!"

Ukita, now awake again, tackled Kenichi away from Takeda, rushing him all the way to the dirt.

"Die!" shouted Ukita as he lifted Kenichi, flipping him upside down and throwing him head first into the floor, causing dust to fly up.

"You... bastard...," said Takeda, almost speechless, "Why would you save me?"

"Are you stupid?" said Ukita, coughing from the dust cloud, "Aren't we friends? Unlike Koga, I actually respect you. We hang out together, don't we?"

"See, you still have friends to depend on," smiled Miu who had been leaning on a wall.

"Not to badmouth your friend, Honey, but aren't you a bit worried about him?" asked Takeda.

"Kenichi is still fine, look," pointed Miu.

The two looked towards Kenichi as the dust cloud cleared just to have their jaws drop down. Kenichi was doing a handstand with both hands, clearly uninjured.

"That was close," said Kenichi nervously as he pushed off his hands and back to his legs.

"Kenichi stuck out both hands into the ground to prevent his head from getting smashed," explained Miu.

"I... I just give up," moaned Ukita as he sat down, "How much strength does that bastard have in his arms? I put all my weight on that move."

"Takeda-sempai," started Kenichi once more as Ukita and Takeda had given up fighting, "Your injury... you can't use your left arm anymore can you?"

"What? How'd you know?" asked Takeda in surprise.

Miu took over from here, knowing Kenichi couldn't really lie, "You clearly knew Kenichi was stronger, and yet you only used your right hand. You said you got injuries that stopped your boxing career cold, so we guessed that you couldn't use it."

"Yeah, the doctor said that I would never be able to move it again," sighed Takeda, "He told me it was impossible to heal."

"Well clearly that doctor was a quack," stated a voice from behind him.

Before Takeda or Ukita could react, a hand firmly gripped Takeda's neck while another clenched his left upper arm. Takeda flinched in pain at the sudden movements.

"The doctor only set up the fracture in your arm. The real reason why you can't move it is because your spinal cord is disjointed, putting pressure on your nerves, making it impossible to react or pass signals from your brain to your arm," continued the man, making sudden painful adjustments.

"Stop that!" shouted Takeda as his face distorted in pain. Unable to take it anymore, he lashed out... with his left hand to push the man off.

"Takeda! Your arm!" shouted Ukita.

Takeda froze as his left arm was clearly moving far beyond his limited movement. He could feel his left arm once more until the numbness came back, forcing him to let it drop uselessly.

"What happened? My arm, it was clearly moving, wasn't it?" shouted Takeda, almost delirious at this miracle, and turned towards the man.

"Koetsuji-san/-shifu!" greeted Miu and Kenichi.

"I'm a professional," smirked Akisame, "I could tell just from a glance when I heard the problem."

"My left arm, can it be healed?' begged Takeda.

"Of course," stated Akisame, stroking his mustache, "To me, it's not a difficult treatment."

"What about boxing? My doctor told me even if my left arm recovered, I could never box again?"

"Boxing? You must be kidding me," scoffed Akisame, causing Takeda's hopes to crash down, "After I'm done with you, you could aim for the world championship in arm wrestling with your left arm!"

"See, there's still hope for you!" smiled Kenichi.

Takeda let a tear fall, realizing there was hope once more.

"Jerk! I'm not happy for you!" cried Ukita, trying to hide his feelings and tears behind his broken shades.

"Koetsuji-shifu, why are you here though?" asked Kenichi, "It can't just be a coincidence."

"You're correct Kenichi. I was actually coming back from an errand when a young girl bumped into me," nodded Akisame, "She was begging for anyone to help her friend out, telling me that they had been surrounded by delinquents, and that it was all her fault."

"Izumi!" gasped Kenichi and Miu, "Is she alright?"

"She's fine when I told her I would help," said Akisame, "She said she was having a friend coming to help, though, so..."

"Orya bastards!"

They all turned just in time for a wooden naginata to smash into Ukita's face, shattering his spare shades he had put on.

"That's for kidnapping my friend!"

Another swipe crashed into an unprepared Takeda, the hit causing him to spiral into the ground.

"Err what happened?" said Koga drowsily, slowly waking up just in time for a naginata to crash into his face from a throw and sending him unconscious once more.

"Makoto, I think that's enough!" cried out Izumi.

Makoto Himeno, Izumi's best friend, as well as a member of the naginata club at Koryo High School, huffed as she grabbed her naginata. Takeda looked in shock to see the shy girl come back, and even asking for help. This scene slowly dissolved his earlier beliefs.

"These jerks deserved it," sneered Makoto.

"As you can see, the situation is well under control," placated Akisame, "However, as a doctor, please don't cause any further injuries than necessary, otherwise it will be more work for me."

Makoto frowned but nodded as Izumi quickly ran up to Kenichi and Miu, asking if they were alright. After managing to calm her down and convince her they were alright, Makoto and Izumi left. Soon enough, Takeda and Ukita were at Akisame's clinic with Akisame, Miu, and Kenichi. Koga, Daimonji, and the grunts were dragged to the park and put under some shade after Akisame declared there wouldn't be a problem with them. Ukita was quickly put on the bed to rest, as Akisame was a bit worried that the lenses might've injured his eyes when they cracked and wanted to make sure there were no problems. As for Takeda, well Akisame was going to begin the treatment to allow Takeda to use his left arm again.

"Now then, shall we begin?" asked Akisame.

"Yes, please!" said Takeda eagerly.

"Alright, I'm going to push your spine back in place on the count of three," said Akisame as he placed his hand at the base of the neck, "So just relax."

Takeda nodded and waited for the three count. He never got the warning as Akisame just pushed in without warning, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Liar!" cried Takeda.

"It works better this way because your body is more relaxed," lectured Miu, "You'll tense up at three. It's human nature."

'I've had to suffer through this too,' sighed Kenichi, remembering the times when he had dislocated his arms or legs, only for Akisame to force it back in without a warning.

"Now let's go again!" said Akisame cheerfully.

"Wait, how many times do we have to do this?" asked Takeda fearfully.

"Well, this is my personal bone setting method, so it's best if we divide it up into little sessions. There are multiple corrections I have to perform on different parts of your spine. It'll only hurt for the first... 732 times."

Cries of pain filled the clinic as Kenichi and Miu left to go train.

* * *

"Shirahama Kenichi," said Natsu in his company's room. He had been observing the fight the whole time until the the first break during Takeda's fight. There had been no point in watching it further, knowing Kenichi would win.

"I can see hints of Karate, Jiu Jitsu, Muay thai, and perhaps a bit of Chinese Kenpo in his style," surmised Natsu, "But what's worrying is that strange technique he used against Takeda the Puncher. He may have been using just one hand, but it looks similar to the one Odin uses. Perhaps they have the same teacher, Kensei-sama." That, of course, struck a chord within him. He had joined Ragnarok not only to get stronger, but also to have Kensei-sama teach him. And yet, out of all the fists of Ragnarok, only Odin seemed to have met him.

And now, it seems like Kenichi might've met and learned from him. And to fuel his anger further, Natsu suspected that Kenichi might have been tutored by Ma Sogetsu himself. Who else was there that could teach all forms of Chinese Kenpo!? Natsu didn't realize that there may have been somebody else, and his mind had quickly concluded that Ma Sogetsu had abandoned him, traveled a bit, and was now teaching Kenichi.

"I'll take him out," growled Natsu, "I'll show that old drunkard who the better disciple was. And don't think Kaede has forgotten about your Mahjong matches either, sensei. She holds an even deeper grudge than me for running out before she could get her 100th victory on you."

* * *

"You idiot! Didn't I say to bring him?"

Koga was then kicked by Kisara into a wall, where he laid there stunned. He was the only one to report back to Kisara about the mission failure the next day. Takeda and Ukita had not bothered reporting in yet, so Kisara could only take her anger out on Koga.

"Milady, I think you should let Koga explain first," whispered Shiratori.

Kisara sighed and had Koga explain, to which he started babbling about Miu, being a babe but a beast within. Of course, this explanation merely confused Kisara and asked Shiratori to shut him up. As punishment, the Technique Trio wouldn't be allowed back into Ragnarok for awhile.

* * *

Weeks passed for them all, and soon, they were approaching the month of June, nearing summer break. A few incidents passed by, such as the thug incident that Kenichi had almost forgotten about. It had been the first time he had discovered Miu could fight, after all. Of course, there were the usual skirmishes against Ragnarok's grunts. One particular eager one by the name of Urugawa pulled out a pocket knife, hoping it would scare Kenichi. The ending result was the dagger being kicked out of his hands and being smacked around for a bit before being dumped into the trash.

The thugs on a later date tried to get their revenge on Miu during Kenichi and Miu's date night, but they had chosen a horrible day to do so and unknowingly sealed their fates.

"There she is," muttered the thug leader whom was dubbed as Aniki.

"Damn she got big tits," grinned grunt A.

"She'll fetch a pretty penny," snickered grunt B.

"Just whom are you talking about?" asked another voice.

"That bimbo over there, looking all happy with her date," replied Aniki, still staring at Miu, "With a body and face like that, we'll get a lot of money selling to another country."

Then he blinked as he noticed there had been a fourth voice and turned around in time to see a rather ticked off Fuurinji Hayato.

The Elder would deny that he had been spying on Kenichi and Miu, but rather he had been on a walk that just so happened to follow the two's date plan they had written. The Elder had bribed Tochumaru to make a quick copy of it so he could plan his walk. Another small loophole, but after that last time, Sakaki had refused to spy on Miu again with Shigure.

"#$% #$%!" shouted all three gangsters in surprise and panic.

"Don't worry," screamed Aniki, "We have Mask-sensei with us! Come out!"

From a van nearby, John Sey, aka the Wrestling Boss, a former professional wrestler, stepped out and walked towards his men, ready to intimidate whoever was causing panic amongst his men. He was not ready to meet a man even taller than him and by the looks of it, more muscular than him.

"What do you want?" growled John, trying to keep the sound of terror out of his voice.

"Your men threatened to kidnap my granddaughter," replied the Elder, "I think we have a problem."

"Ha, you think you beat us?" laughed Aniki as he pulled out a gun, "We have weapons, more men, and boss here was a former professional wrestler! You have no chance in stopping us!"

The grunts began to do the same, pulling out a knife and another gun.

Before anyone could even react, the Elder grabbed a gun and crushed it with just a squeeze of his palm.

"I think I have a pretty good chance," grinned the Elder as his eyes began to glow.

The gangsters and boss could only shake in terror as the Elder, who now looked the the Grim Reaper, descended upon them.

* * *

"Miu, do you hear screams?" asked Kenichi.

The two paused for a second from eating their ice cream for a second to listen around them.

"Nope. Maybe it was your imagination," suggested Miu.

"Eh alright," shrugged Kenichi as the two went back to eating their ice cream.

* * *

 _Back at the crime sce- *cough* alleyway._

"You almost gave me away," growled the Elder as he had his hand over Aniki's mouth.

Aniki had tried to escape and scream for help, only for the Elder to grab him by his head and pull him back and silence him. John and the grunts had been knocked unconscious already, leaving Aniki the only one awake for now.

"Now, I want you to promise you you'll stop harassing innocent people anymore, is that clear?" asked the Elder.

Aniki tried to reply, but his words were mumbled as the Elder still had his hand over his mouth.

"Just nod your head if you understand."

Aniki frantically nodded his head in reply.

"Good, good," whispered the Elder before cuffing Aniki, sending him into the land of unconsciousness.

The Elder took a peek to see Miu and Kenichi still at the bench, seemingly undisturbed by anything.

"When did I become a grandfather that would make sure his granddaughter's date wasn't ruined?" sighed the Elder, "Wasn't I supposed to make sure they didn't do anything suspicious?"

* * *

Kisara was at her hideout, plotting her next move. Kenichi had crushed her Technique Trio, and Shiratori had advised her that if left unchecked, Kenichi might join another gang that opposed Ragnarok. Miu was also another cause for worry, as she seemed strong, according to Koga. The two always seemed to be together, with that weirdo Niijima appearing on and off.

"Then it's decided," declared Kisara, "We crush him and the girl."

"Wait!"

From the window sill sat Tsuji Shinnosuke, a teenage male with a black hair styled like a mop, who had been visiting Kisara.

"How about I deal with him instead," grinned Tsuji, "Since your troops can't suffer anymore losses now can they?"

Kisara harrumphed, but it was true. She was confident that she could take the two out, but she was rather worried about her troop's morale.

Shiratori decided to intervene and offer another solution, "Since you're so interested in helping, how about a cooperation between our groups."

"Hmph, two gangs taking out two people? Overkill much?" asked Tsuji.

"Yes, but Takeda has not reported in for quite some time. Ukita came in a week ago muttering about something, but he still gave his report. I'm afraid that Takeda may have decided to abandon Ragnarok. We have no proof, but rather a vague feeling."

"Ha, so even your troops are abandoning ship," laughed Tsuji before frowning, "Then I'm guessing you're planning to lynch him soon?"

"If he doesn't report in soon," nodded Kisara, "According to Ukita, he's seeing a doctor for an old injury that flared up. If needed, we can jump the traitor, Kenichi, and Miu at the same time."

"Sounds fun," grinned Tsuji, "Though Takeda might really just be injured and just needs to see the doctor. You should confirm it with him first before lynching him unless he sends you a notice. It would make Ragnarok look bad if they got the wrong person."

"I want the big breast girl!" cheered Koga once more, causing Kisara and Tsuji to twitch in anger, one about the breast comment and the other just thinking Koga was a piece of trash.

And thus, the two gangs began to plan their lynching party.

* * *

 **And done. Considered writing the lynching party in, but there was just too much other details and plans that I decided to cut it here. Hope you enjoyed it and look forward to the next chapter!**

 **A reminder, the Kensei Hermit refers to is Ogata, not Ma Kensei. Confusing, yes, but that's just how its written.**

 **Saw the newest KH3 gameplay, and I have to say, I'm fking psyched to play it!**

 **Also, made a PAT. REON. on page. If you like the story and are feeling generous, come donate! Just look search up azndrgn, who is creating fanfiction.**


	5. Chapter 5

**This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011! Give them a round of applause for helping out! Also releasing this earlier than planned!**

 **Now, onto the story! Enjoy what changes might happen! Also, after this chapter, I may start reverting to calling Natsu Hermit unless it's a special situation.**

* * *

Shirahama Honoka was on a mission. A very important mission indeed. She was going find out just where her big brother was currently living!

"Honoka, is it so important that we find where he lives?" Tanimoto Kaeda, her best friend who was accompanying her, asked.

"It is! I know Big Boobs has him under her control!" Honoka hissed, pointing at a picture of Miu that she brought out from her rather huge backpack. She had packed a ton of snacks for her precious brother, including his favorite fish soup stock and a bento box from their mother.

"Honoka, you silly girl," Kaede giggled, "But isn't it risky with just us?"

"That's why your brother's here!" Honoka cheered pointing at Natsu, "To protect us!"

The trio had set off from Kenichi's house to Ryozanpaku on a Sunday morning. Miu had been kind enough to draw a map for them. Of course, the map was drawn in a way that only girls could understand. Natsu looked at the original in complete confusion on how to read it, while Kaede and Honoka could read it perfectly. In the end, they made a translated copy for him to guide them.

"I'm wondering how you two dragged me into this," Natsu grumbled. Though truthfully he was curious to see if his master was here, as well as spy on Kenichi's training.

"Because you don't feel comfortable having the two of us go alone," Kaede stated without hesitation, causing Natsu to sputter. No matter how cold or callous her brother was, she knew she had him wrapped around her pinky finger.

"We've arrived!" Honoka yelled. The trio looked up to see the ominous doors of Ryozanpaku.

"This is where your brother is?" Kaede sweatdropped before coughing a bit once more.

Natsu immediately tended to her, giving her some water and asking if she needed her inhaler. Though Kaede's health had immensely improved, she still suffered small bouts of coughing fits. They had gone to several doctors but the symptoms seemed to linger with no idea about how to cure it. Luckily, it wasn't hazardous to her health.

"Yep, let's go!" Honoka demanded before trying to push the oak door open. It refused to budge, no matter how hard she pushed or pulled. Kaede quickly joined her but the door still wouldn't budge. They knocked on the door several times, but nobody seemed to answer.

"Looks like they're not home," Natsu shrugged, "Let's go home."

"Nii-chan, you haven't even attempted it!" Kaede pouted.

"Yea, you do it!" Honoka demanded.

Sighing, Natsu gave the door a slight push before 'giving' up.

"Harder, you can do it!" Kaede piped.

Natsu breathed in deeply and gave the door a harder push, increasing in strength until the door began to move forward. Finally, the door was wide enough for them all to slip in easily.

'That door was heavier than I thought,' Natsu thought, 'That could be counted as training just opening that door.'

"Hello!" Honoka shouted to the main dojo. Everything seemed silent for a moment, and Natsu was about to guide them away when...

 _ **RUMBLE KRRRRRR**_

Kenichi came flying through the air and crashed into the dirt face first, leaving a large dirt trail as it kept going until he stopped right in front of them.

"This is something I haven't felt for awhile," Kenichi mumbled as he managed to pull his head out. This time he had been sent flying by Sakaki's fist. Sakaki had been showing him a rather complicated Karate stance and move at the time and Kenichi had failed to dodge.

"Nii-chan, are you alright?" Honoka gasped in worry, quickly tending to any injuries she saw.

"Honoka? What are you doing here and why?" Kenichi asked.

"To visit you silly!" Honoka screamed as she slapped him in the head, "I even brought Natsu and Kaede to visit!"

Kenichi snapped his head towards the other two in shock. Kaede replied with a small wave while Natsu look disinterested, but his eyes were quickly roving all over Ryozanpaku.

"Hoo, we have visitors," Ma Kensei said as he suddenly appeared behind the Tanimoto siblings.

Natsu reacted instinctively, swinging his arms like a whip, rotating his hips. He had been caught off guard so badly that he forgot he was attempting to hide his ability from Kenichi.

Kensei easily caught the blow but raised his eyebrows in interest.

" _ **Hikaken**_ style, huh? And I'm guessing you also know _**Hakkyokuken**_ style in conjecture? Who was your master, boy?" Kensei asked.

Natsu stared at the rather short man, shocked that he had been stopped so easily. The only man he knew that could have done that was his shitty drunk master, Ma Sogetsu!

Seeing her older brother didn't answer, Kaede answered for him, "An old man named Ma Sogetsu! I call him Uncle Ma though. Do you know him?"

"Hoo, so you're the disciple of my older brother?" Kensei asked with a grin, "Interesting, he wasn't one to take disciples."

"...I bribed him with a lot of wine. About 40 crates worth of it and some other expensive alcohol," Natsu admitted, seeing no point in hiding it now, "But the stupid man left before he could finish training me."

"That does sound like him," Kensei chuckled, "As you might have figured out, I am your master's younger brother. I am Ma Kensei."

"So Kenichi didn't learn Chinese Kenpo from my old master," Natsu noted with a bit a relief inside him.

"That would be correct," Kensei nodded.

"Ah, we have visitors!" Miu exclaimed as she came out to see why Kensei hadn't dragged Kenichi back yet.

"Apapapa, visitors!" Apachai cheered as he appeared.

"Kyaaa, giant!" both girls shrieked, quickly running to hide behind Miu.

That sent Apachai into a spiral of depression as he huddled in a corner while Miu quickly tried to explain that Apachai was a gentle giant.

"Feh, I guess this means you get a small break," Sakaki grunted as he turned around from a corner to see what the holdup was.

The girls shrieked again when they saw Sakaki until Kaede started to go into a coughing fit once more. Natsu was instantly by her side to help her. However, Kensei suddenly also appeared beside her and grabbed her wrists, checking her pulse. A few seconds later, he nodded as he made his diagnostic.

"This cough has been rather persistent, hasn't it?" Kensei asked.

"Yes, why?" Natsu replied with suspicion.

"Want to try acupuncture? I can get rid of this cough permanently so she no longer needs an inhaler."

Natsu gazed at the man with caution before slowly nodding his head. The only reason he felt like trusting this man was because he was the brother of his master. He remembered all those time his shitty master would get drunk and sleep talk, bragging all about his younger brother.

"Perfect. I'll take a look at your body while I'm at it," Kensei said, suddenly dragging Natsu with him. Kaede was lead after them by Apachai, after Miu had finally convinced her that the giant man was a gentle spirit. Apachai lifted her up to his shoulders, much to her delight, while Honoka preferred to spend some time with her brother.

"Wait why?" Natsu asked, somehow unable to pull away from Kensei. He later found out Kensei had stuck his finger at a nerve point to prevent him from doing so.

"Practitioners of _**Hikaken**_ often develop joint problems in the future that may lead paralysis of the arms," Kensei replied, "Often time it's because the muscles and joints aren't properly trained. Seeing how my brother was the one who taught you, he most likely made sure you wouldn't suffer from that, but I prefer to make sure. I am a doctor after all."

"Bye Natsu-chan, Kaede-chan!" Kenichi waved as he managed to pry his sister off him for a bit.

"Don't call me that!" Natsu snapped, seeing as they were not in class and he no longer needed nor wanted to hide his true personality, "We're not that friendly or close!"

'Ah, there's the attitude I know,' Kenichi smirked as Kaede gave a friendly wave to him.

"Honoka, what are you doing here?" Kenichi lectured as they got into the dojo, "I thought I told you not to come at a whim."

"But I wanted to spend time with you," Honoka pouted, "Ever since you started living here, you haven't played with me except for weekends when you come home. Kaede's nii-chan plays with her every time he gets a chance for a break."

"Fine, fine," Kenichi sighed, "Do you want to go to the park?"

"Na, I want to see what's so special about this place," Honoka shrugged.

'That, and make sure Big Boobs isn't seducing my brother,' Honoka added mentally.

"Oh...your...sister?" Shigure asked as she finally appeared.

Honoka took a quick look at Shigure's figure and already labeled her as another babe that would distract Kenichi, though not as high as Miu.

* * *

Back with the Tanimoto family, Natsu and Kaede found themselves with dozens of needles all over their body at the clinic that was a short walk away from Ryozanpaku.

"This...feels weird," Kaede admitted, trying to move a little. She found out her mobility was completely stilled.

"Don't move," Kensei chastised as he was mixing up several herbs, "You'll just hurt yourself more."

"For how much longer?" Kaede whined.

"Just a few more minutes," Kensei replied, "As for you Natsu, I'm glad my brother knew what he was doing when he trained you. He strengthened your joints and tendons in a sensible way that wouldn't harm you for practicing the _**Hikaken**_. However, you seemed to have slacked off on your basic training, haven't you?"

Natsu didn't reply, but his face said it all. He had thought constantly sparring against other people would've helped build up the necessary muscles. Apparently, from the look on Kensei's face, it hadn't. Though he had to admit, he had been fighting basically cannon fodder, and there were no real challenges besides his fellow Fists. But the rules in Ragnarok stated that there would be no fighting between the Fists.

"As for you young lady," Kensei nodded to Kaede, "I'll start taking the needles out in two minutes. However, there's something interesting that I want my colleague Akisame to look at. He's currently busy with another patient."

Natsu strained his ear just in time to hear someone scream out in pain.

"Owowowow! I'm starting to think this isn't worth it!" yelled a voice.

"Be quiet. You want to box again, don't you?" replied another voice.

"...That is a cruel questION!" screeched the first voice towards the end of his sentence as a bone cracking sound could be heard once more.

Natsu recognized it as Takeda's voice and pondered about what was happening. He had reviewed the files about Kisara and her gang, as she was one of the candidates to be promoted to becoming the eighth fist. Takeda was counted to be above the usual cannon fodder with just his right arm, but was just that. Without his left arm, he wasn't worth much consideration. From what he could hear, Takeda was undergoing rehabilitation to regain control of his left arm.

"Sorry about that," Akisame said as he entered Kensei's clinic, which was right next door, "My patient was rather...excitable today. I had to sedate him through various means, though I'm sure he'll be happy that he can slowly start easing into boxing. I suggested doing some roadwork to lay out some foundations."

Back at his clinic, Takeda was knocked unconscious due to Akisame pinching several key nerves to force him to rest. One could almost see the ghost of his soul trying to ascend to the heavens, only for a choju giga bunny to drag it back down.

"So what did you want to consult with me about?" Akisame asked.

Kensei passed Kaede's medical records to him in reply, as well as his assessment. All of Kaede's medical records, including pre and post treatment, including the surgery she had to undergo, was listed within the folder. The hospital was kind enough to provide them within minutes thanks to the fact Natsu gave his permission, as well as being well-known.

"Intriguing," Akisame nodded as he finished reading through it.

"What? What's wrong with my sister?" Natsu demanded as Kensei started to pluck the needles out.

"There's nothing wrong, but from what we've read and determined, Kaede's recovery is much better than what was predicted, as well as the time on how long it would take," Akisame answered as he closed the folder, "Kensei's treatment was to have Kaede practice some martial arts, mainly to improve her inner strength and muscles. However, it seems like she's already been doing that for quite some time now."

Natsu whirled around, looking at Kaede in surprise.

"Uncle Ma taught me," Kaede smiled, "He poked at my body for a bit, felt my pulse on my wrist, and prescribed a series of exercises and breathing techniques that I should try to practice often."

"Ah, yes, while it's not very well-known, perhaps because of the fact he loves his alcohol, both of us were trained in the human body especially in anatomy. He's not a doctor like me, but he knows enough that he could spot problems in Kaede's health and prescribe the necessary rehabilitation techniques, just not the herbs. That, he slacked off on," Kensei nodded.

Natsu started to feel like his shitty master may have earned at least 30 crates of wines he had ordered for him for training him and helping with Kaede. There were still 10 crates that he was owed and Natsu intended to find his master and continue to train under him.

They finished up and walked back to Ryozanpaku just in time to see Kenichi fly through the air, only to recover before landing on the ground. Miu was on him in a flash, only for Kenichi to already have constructed a _**Seikuken**_ around him to block Miu's attacks.

'There it is again! That has to be the same technique as Odin!' Natsu thought, 'But how do they both know it? When I heard the name Kensei from Ryozanpaku, I thought it was the same one who was backing up Ragnarok, but clearly, it's just a coincidence the names are the same!'

Kaede walked over to where Honoka was, who was currently beating the crap out of Apachai in Othello while cheering for her brother.

"Interesting in sparring with Kenichi?" Kensei asked with a knowing smile.

"...very much," Natsu gritted, not voicing his primary reasons for why. Besides learning how to defeat the first three fists in the future, he still wanted revenge for Kenichi making him sit through the Talk.

"Well you'll have to wait," Kensei said causing Natsu to almost fall down, "I still need to prescribe the proper basic training to make sure your body doesn't suffer. Come back in a week and you should be up for a spar. Also, no fighting for the while!"

Natsu grumbled in compliance but obeyed, putting a mental note in his head to tell the others at Ragnarok that he would be busy.

* * *

The next day, right before lunch, Natsu walked up to Kenichi with his princely smile.

"Kenichi," Natsu smiled, "Do you want to have lunch together? It would be good to know the brother of my little sister's best friend a bit more."

Kenichi blinked for a few seconds before replying, "Sure. Miu and I tend to eat on the roof. Do you want to come with us?"

"Sure!"

Lunch soon arrived, and the trio rushed to the roof to avoid Natsu's usual gaggle of fan girls. As soon as they got to the roof, Natu's fake personality was quickly thrown away as he got close to Kenichi.

"You didn't tell anyone about my visit did you?" Natsu growled, "Because if you did, I'll-"

"Relax Natsu-chan," Kenichi said calmly, "I-"

"Don't call me so familiarly!"

The two boys had a small squabble until Miu told them to stop and just enjoy lunch. Kenichi immediately obeyed while Natsu looked like he was struggling to acknowledge the order before plopping his butt down to sit, grabbing the bento box his little sister made for him.

"So...want to explain why you seem to have two personalities?" Kenichi asked curiously, though he already knew the answer.

Natsu scoffed, remaining silent for a bit before explaining how becoming a model student was a method to rule the public's heart. The fact that Kenichi and Miu believed that there was justice in this world grinded his gears, but he said nothing of it.

"Just to be clear, you two will not tell anyone about this," Natsu threatened, "I have a reputation and experiment to keep. If you blab, I will find a way to end you."

"Well, well, looks like the secret prince has finally revealed his true colors!" cackled a voice.

The owner of the voice popped his head from the ladder, only to duck from Natsu's sudden sweeping kick to the head.

"You already told someone!?" Natsu hissed, only to see two shaking heads to deny his accusation.

"They had no need to tell me, the great Haruo Niijima!" Niijima cackled as he popped his head up again, "I could tell from a single glance!"

This time, Natsu was able to land a punch into his face as Niijima let his guard down.

 _Moments later_

"HAHAHAHAHAH!"

Niijima was rolling around and laughing when he was finally on the same floor level as the rest of them as Kenichi told him how Tanimoto ended up at Ryozanpaku.

"Shut up alien bastard! Now tell me how you knew!" Natsu growled as he pulled Niijima up by his collar.

Before Niijima could reply, the bell rang to signify the end of the lunch period.

"Well, too late, gotta go!" Niijima grinned as he suddenly slipped out of Natsu's grip on his uniform by shrugging it off and running away.

"Get back here!" Natsu shouted.

"Careful perfect student, you don't want to let others know do you?" Kenichi teased as his eyes turned round, as if mocking him.

"You're really going to milk this aren't you?" Natsu growled, "I can't wait until Doctor Kensei gives me the go-ahead to kick your butt!"

A week and one day later, Natsu was standing in front of Ryozanpaku, eager to begin his duel with Kenichi. Natsu had a feeling that Kenichi was stronger than him. However, his master always told him that it was not the stronger person who won, but rather the person most tenacious towards victory. And there was nobody who was more tenacious than him. Not since his sister almost died in his hands. The strange letter that he received had come just in the nick of time for him to hire a real doctor to cure Kaede.

Speaking of which, Kaede had invited Honoka, Shigure, and Apachai to their house to play Mahjong. Normally, he would be wary of the two adults that were invited, but after a few days of exposure to them while visiting Kensei for further treatment, he had learned that Apachai was a kid stuck in an adult's body, though a very powerful body at that, and Shigure was just as awkward. Both of them were innocent enough by his standards to not take advantage of Kaede, and the fact they served as bodyguards helped.

Speaking of them...

* * *

Back at Kenichi's house, Honoka was getting ready to go out on Sunday morning.

"I'm heading to Kaede's house!" Honoka shouted.

"My my, you two have gotten close, haven't you," Saori smiled.

'Finally...It's a Sunday...' Mototsugu came out of his study with a grin.

"How about I go with you?" Mototsugu suggested, "I can see if that boy Natsu is home to make sure everything is safe before heading to the dojo Kenichi is at on the way!"

This seemingly innocent suggestion was obliterated and replaced with suspicion as Mototsugu was wearing a rather large and thick overcoat in the middle of the summer, while clutching a rather large suspicious package within his coat.

"Dear, if you're going to go out, leave Sebastian behind," Saori demanded as she grabbed his coat with an iron grip.

"Sebastian? I don't have Sebastian with me, I left him at the gun store for a complete cleaning, remember?" Mototsugu replied while beginning to sweat, whether it was from the warm weather or his current predicament with his wife was arguable. Though it was true that his hunting rifle Sebastian was at a store for a complete cleaning.

"I'm heading out!" Honoka yelled.

"Wait! Daddy will take you by car, it's safer!" Mototsugu shouted as he attempted to bulldoze out of his wife's grip with apparent failure.

"Sorry dad, but I have a better ride," Honoka smiled before putting her fingers up and whistling out loudly.

A second later, Apachai appeared from the sky, ready to take Honoka to Kaede's house.

"Monster!" Mototsugu screamed before grabbing the package inside his coat to reveal a hunting rifle, "Let's go Maximilian!"

He had already cocked his rifle, ready to fire before his wife smacked him on the head with a frying pan to prevent him from doing anything drastic.

"Have fun!" Saori waved as she held her husband, who was bleeding from his head now, "Make sure to come back before dinner time!"

* * *

Natsu entered the dojo to see Miu and Kenichi doing laundry for the day. He looked around and frowned as he failed to see any of the masters here that could possibly be the judge for the day.

"Where is everybody?" Natsu politely inquired, before adding that he already knew where Shigure and Apachai were.

"Koetsuji-sensei and Ma-shifu went to their clinics for the day," Kenichi answered.

"Sakaki-san went to buy beer, and my grandfather is still in the South for business," Miu finished, "No worries, I'll be the judge for the match today. The others suggested I do so as part of training."

"Fair enough," Natsu nodded as Kenichi dropped the laundry basket and quickly went to go change.

Natsu was tempted to wear his Hermit gear, but he had no desire to let them know he was part of Ragnarok. That they already knew he could fight was enough.

The trio moved to the main dojo, where Kenichi was wearing Ryozanpaku's official disciple clothing while Natsu opted for a Chinese Kung Fu uniform in black. Natsu looked at Kenichi in slight curiosity as it seemed to be a mesh of different style uniforms from different martial arts, but opted not to say anything.

As they got into fighting positions, Miu was already explaining the rules when she reminded Kenichi he was only allowed to use Chinese Kenpo.

"Wait, what!?" Natsu shouted in outrage.

"Ma-shifu ordered me to do so to test out my understanding of Chinese Kenpo against yours," Kenichi answered, "He wanted to see how his disciple fared against his brother's disciple."

Frowning but understanding, Natsu still made a request.

"I want you to fight with that strange technique I saw earlier along with your Chinese Kenpo, where you seemed to construct a...zone around you that didn't let attacks go through. You used it against Takeda, and again against Miu. It's a technique that looks exactly like...one of my acquaintance's techniques. I want to know what I'm going up against."

Natsu purposely left out that it was Odin, or rather Ryuto Asamiya, as he was still hiding his connection with Ragnarok. He didn't know that Miu and the others already knew the truth, but they decided it would be better to let Natsu think they didn't know.

Kenichi agreed to the additional term, and Miu raised her hands in the air.

"Star-"

"COME OUT RYOZANPAKU! I, GONZUI KUMATORI OF THE SHIKEN ODARI KARATE SCHOOL, AM HERE TO ISSUE A DOJO CHALLENGE AND TO TAKE YOUR SIGN DEGOZARU!"

The voice rang throughout Ryozanpaku, causing all three of them to pause in their position before quickly walking out to see the front gates open up with a slam. They had not put the bar on the door as they had expected Natsu, thus allowing the door to be opened with relative ease. Several men quickly marched forward before forming two lines to welcome their master. And from the cloud came a tall man with face paint styled like a Kabuki mask, complete with the Kabuki pose as he introduced himself once more. His hairstyle had parts of his hair sticking out like little wings, four in total.

"Ah, that's right...it was roughly this week our next jackpot came in," Miu whispered.

Natsu was starting to steam up as everything seemed to be out to delaying his fight against Kenichi.

"Either way, making them wait will be rude," Miu said as she quickly walked out.

"Wait, what about our duel!?" Natsu asked.

"This won't take long," Miu smiled as she greeted the challengers.

They all found themselves sitting at the main dojo, where Miu quickly served tea to Gonzui. Natsu was left simmering, but also decided it would be interesting to see how a Ryozanpaku master fought before remembering they were all out. He decided to see how this played out.

Miu quickly took out a registration book, stating that the challenger had to write out his name, address, and school while also handing out Ryozanpaku's official rule book to challenging the dojo. Natsu took a quick glance and almost face planted at the rules.

On the very first line was the rule stating any dojo hunters had to pay ten thousand yen.

"I've heard of intruders extorting dojo's, but you guys are extorting the intruders," Natsu hissed to Kenichi.

"It's one of Ryozanpaku's main ways of funding," Kenichi sighed, already used to this, "This is only the beginning."

"It's...well I guess it's a smart way of gaining money from dojo hunters," Natsu nodded, "Your dojo is...quirky to say the least. But I'm not happy about this interruption."

"You two, shut up!" Gonzui shouted in irritation as he read through the rules

"For an additional ten thousand, you can fight as a group!" Miu smiled.

Gonzui merely hummed in acknowledgment before giving a stack of Yukichi, causing Natsu to almost spit take.

"If I give you this much, that means I can fight Sakaki Shio a hundred times, correct?" Gonzui reasoned, "I've heard there are so many masters here, so it would be best if I fought someone who practices the same martial arts! First blood will be mine!"

"Ah sorry, Mr. Sakaki Shio is currently away right now," Miu apologized, "I'll take you on in his stead."

"You impertinent brat!" shouted disciple A.

"Show respect to Master Gonzui!" screeched disciple B.

"YOU...YOU LITTLE WENCH!" Gonzui screamed in anger, smashing the table into pieces, "I WILL NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED LIKE THIS DEGOZARU! DIE!"

Gonzui launched a punch towards Miu, who dodged it easily.

"TEACH THEM ALL A LESSON!" Gonzui shouted, pointing to Kenichi and Natsu, "SHOW THEM WHAT IT MEANS TO UNDERESTIMATE THE SHIKEN ODARI KARATE DEGOZARU!"

"Why am I being dragged into this?" Natsu as grumbled he dodged one of the disciples grab and kicked him in the head.

"Because you annoyed him earlier?" Kenichi suggested as he blocked a punch with a crane fist, letting it bounce right into the attacker's chin.

"So did you!" Natsu shot back as he elbowed another disciple.

"Come little wench!" Gozui growled as he began to steel his body to prepare for any attacks, "I'll show you the true might of the Shiken Odari Karate. The power of my spirit! My body is like steel, just like my unwavering spirit!"

Miu dashed towards Gozui, who prepared himself for any frontal assault when she seemingly disappeared. Then he felt two swift kicks to the back of his knee, causing him to fall down and relax his muscles unintentionally. Then Miu kicked him in the chest, causing him to fall backward. Taking advantage of this, Miu jumped to the ceiling and shot down hard, pouncing on him like a tiger, using Pencak Silat. The force of the impact caused Gozui to spit in pain before succumbing to the attack.

"Ouch that's got to hurt," Kenichi noted as he grabbed his opponent's wrist and twisted the arm, causing the attacker to flip before landing on his back and getting a swift kick to the head to knock him unconscious.

"That's Silat isn't it?" Natsu asked as he finished another opponent, using his arms like a whip to slam into his opponent's ribs.

"Yep," Kenichi answered as he finished another disciple with a high kick to the head.

All the challengers, master and disciples, were soon knocked unconscious.

"Hoo, nice job," Sakaki said as he came back from his beer run, "I'll do the rest and take them to Akisame's clinic, where he'll heal them nicely."

"You mean it's part of the rules that you put, that you give treatment after a fight?" Natsu asked, feeling the price of the dojo challenge wasn't too bad now. He knew Akisame was a top-notch doctor.

"Pfft, you kidding me?" Sakaki laughed, "Injuries sustained here and treatment is two totally different things. Akisame may knock down the price a bit, but these bastards still have to pay for the treatment!"

"That's just how it is," Kenichi whispered to a shocked Natsu, "Ryozanpaku is a place where masters who stand at the pinnacle of their martial arts gather. They get challenges so frequently that the Elder decided to make a profit out of it. There's even a waiting list sometimes."

"I'm starting to see just how my master, Ma Sogetsu, is related to your master, Ma Kensei. Both loved to extort money out of their attackers, playing the innocent victim," Natsu sighed, "And your dojo is full of people who share the same ideals. I can't even say whether this place is corrupted or just smart."

"Oyoy, you two brats have your fight yet?" Sakaki asked, "If not, I want to watch."

"That's right, we haven't," Natsu said with a gleam in his eyes before he struck without warning.

Kenichi almost didn't dodge it, but after already fighting a few people, his engine was already warmed up and ready.

"Ah, hold up I still need to take these people to the clinic," Sakaki said before making a decision. He gathered all the unconscious folks, tossing them haphazardly into a cart before kicking the cart into the air, launching it in the general direction of Akisame's clinic.

"Sakaki!" Miu screeched at his behavior.

"Relax, I punted them towards Akisame," Sakaki yawned as he put his pinky in his ear, "Akisame recently constructed soft landing pad to save time by throwing them there instead of dragging them. I'm pretty sure I got the correct aim."

Natsu had backed off only to sweatdrop at this attitude.

'Why do I feel like the stronger the master, the more insane they are?' Natsu thought before resuming his fight with Kenichi.

Natsu went for a low high combo, trying to trip Kenichi into a vulnerable position. However, when he landed a low kick to Kenichi's ankle, he felt like he had been attempting to kick a boulder stuck in the ground. Natsu grit his teeth as he dodged the downward punch from Kenichi, reassessing the situation. He swung his arms for an overhead strike, but Kenichi shot forward, allowing it to land on his shoulder while halving the power of his strike.

'Shit!' Natsu cursed mentally as he backed away, but Kenichi had placed two palms on his chest.

 _ **Sotenshu**_

Natsu felt the impact as he was blown back from the attack. Managing to land on his feet, he looked up to see Kenichi already upon him, his fists up. Natsu aimed a direct right elbow strike to Kenichi's face, to which Kenichi caught it with his right fist.

'Gotcha!' Natsu thought as he extended his arms out at the moment of impact of the elbow, making a two-step attack. However, his extended arm was caught by Kenichi's other hand.

"Not yet!" Natsu yelled as he swung his left arm to attack. Before it could land, a kick landed on his ribs and forced him down. As he coughed and quickly regained his fighting position, he saw Kenichi with his leg raised up. Kenichi had kicked Natsu just as he blocked the extending arm strike.

'The gap...can't be this far apart!' Natsu thought as he switched tactics, raining down rapid blows.

All his rapid strikes were blocked by the palm of Kenichi's hand. Kenichi had activated his _**Seikuken**_.

"This technique...I will break through it!" Natsu roared as he rushed forward, trying to push into the dome of defense. He received multiple punches to his body and a possible concussion, but he pushed forward. For it was not the strongest person who won, but the most tenacious one!

Natsu launched a straight whip punch right through the dome and at Kenichi's face!

"Gotcha!" Natsu grinned as the blow connected, only to frown the next second. The impact didn't seem as solid as it should've been, but he did see Kenichi falling backward. Then his lights went out as he felt something slam into his chin.

Kenichi had been surprised to see Natsu rush in to throw a punch and break through, but he focused and swayed backward just as the hit was about to connect, doing the same thing Siegfried had done before. Within the same breath, he snapped a sharp kick up into Natsu's jaw, who had been too focused on attacking that he hadn't seen it coming.

"Winner Kenichi!" Miu shouted as she saw Natsu's eyes roll up. Sakaki grabbed a bucket of cold water that was on the side, counted to twenty, and tossed the cold water onto Natsu.

"You lost kid," Sakaki stated bluntly as Natsu woke up from the shock of cold water, shaking his head to clear the confusion and concussion.

"...Dammit," Natsu cursed, "How did I, a man with talent and hard work, lose to you?"

"Well you have skimped on basic training," Kenichi noted, forcing Natsu to glare at him in anger.

"...I'll be back to challenge you again," Natsu growled as he picked himself up, "Right now, I have to go home and help prepare dinner with Kaede."

"Go see Ma Kensei before you do so," Sakaki grunted, "He'll patch you up for free since you're his brother's disciple."

Natsu was about to argue against that when he thought about it. It would ease Kaede's worry if he came back home all patched up, and he could also ask for some advice about more basic training.

"Aww Sakaki, you never showed that much softness before," Miu giggled.

"Shaddup, it...it...it was just my lucky day, and I was a good mood," Sakaki huffed, causing Kenichi to giggle.

"Kenichi, we're going to make sure you learn the _**Gamaku,**_ " stated an irritated Sakaki towards Kenichi, causing him to cry. That stance was still something he had trouble with, and Sakaki intended to drive it in to be able to use it.

* * *

"Hooo, so Ragnarok has decided to expand to the Eight Fists?" Niijima grinned at another hidden base he had made.

"Yes my demon lord," sang Niijima's faithful servant from the shadows, "There have been debates whether it should be Kisara Nanjo or Shinnosuke Tsuji, but Kisara is more likely, just as you predicted."

"Excellent, and the lynching?" Niijima asked.

"So far it's been delayed due to Tsuji's complaint about Kisara's promotion over him. He intends to fight Kisara so as to see if Kisara is truly worthy, but Odin will intervene. For some reason, he seemed interested in Kenichi when he heard that Kenichi easily defeated Kisara's Technique Trio. Loki provided him with Kenichi's information and picture."

"Damn, that might come back to bite us," Niijima muttered, "Didn't think he'd attract that much attention, but no matter. Well done, my faithful servant! Soon, the Shinpaku Alliance will rise, and you will be able to reveal your true colors. What about your friend?"

"Thor has agreed to join me when I leave," sang the shadowed figure as he began to play the tambourine, "He does not hold any connection with anyone else but me. And I have received word when Kisara and Tsuji will attack Takeda!"

"Excellent!" Niijima grinned as he cackled evilly, the first steps of his dream coming to fruition.

* * *

Weeks passed by as the school hit June, where there was a weekend holiday. The entirety of Ryozanpaku had visited Furinji island to relax for a bit. It was there that Kenichi was working more on his Dou Ki for a bit, even sparring with Miu while using it, as well as something else.

"Dou Ki really feels weird to me," Kenichi noted as he felt it run through his body, "Exciting my spirit instead of keeping it calm."

"Most people are more attuned to one nature over the other," the Elder lectured as he carefully watched Kenichi, "Even I had a difficult time learning Sei Ki by myself. You're lucky I'm watching over you to make sure you don't strain yourself."

They came back from the island just in time for Niijima to inform them that Kisara's induction to becoming the eighth fist of Ragnarok was complete with the code name Valkyrie. With the induction done, as well as quelling some other local gangs that were trying to break away and make a name for themselves, and kicking out intruders from their turf, Kisara would be turning her attention inwards. Meaning Takeda would be in danger soon.

"Takeda-senpai, please be careful," Kenichi pleaded, though knowing that Takeda would just ignore his warnings, "If you're in trouble, please call my cell."

Takeda was at Akisame's clinic for treatment as usual and had already received the ok signal from Akisame weeks ago to ease into boxing.

"Mmm, alright," Takeda nodded as Kenichi snatched his phone to input his number. Then he walked over to Miu and smiled, "But I'd like honey's number to call instead."

"Takeda-senpai!" Kenichi yelled in slight anger before handing back the phone, "Please, if the Ragnarok jerks are trying to lynch you, call me! Miu and I will run over to help!"

"Alright, alright," Takeda smiled tiredly while putting the phone in his right pocket, but still with gratitude, "Thanks again."

As he left, Kenichi's phone rang, prompting him to take a look. It was a message from Niijima.

"It happens tonight."

"Miu, ready to go out tonight?" Kenichi asked as he tightened the belt on his gi.

"Yea, let me grab my jacket," Miu nodded before turning to Akisame, "I have dinner almost ready. The rice has been cooked, as well as the soup. Can you and the others make the side dishes for tonight?"

"Of course. Just be careful and have fun," Akisame waved as he turned towards the dojo.

Takeda was waltzing through an alleyway near train tracks, his left hand in his pocket while his right arm carried his bags, as it was the fastest way home. And yet, it was also dangerous as there were no other passersby that took this path, making it perfect for ambushes...such as now. Not to mention they weren't doing a good job at hiding.

"Come on out. No use in hiding," Takeda declared.

At this, he soon became surrounded by Ragnarok grunts, led by Kisara and Tsuji.

"Takeda the Puncher," Kisara announced ominously, "Care to explain why you haven't reported back to me in weeks? And why you were seen leaving the enemy's territory?"

Ragnarok grunts had managed to follow where Takeda kept going, tracing it back to Akisame's clinic. While they were spying, they had spotted Kenichi and Miu with Takeda several times, leading them to believe it was enemy territory.

"Well to answer the second question, I've been seeing a doctor for an injury, Kisara," Takeda grinned.

"That's Kisara-sama!" Shiratori snapped.

"For what?" Koga sneered from a wall.

"Come down and find out," Takeda grinned, "As for your first question...well that's pretty simple. I quit Ragnarok."

"So this will be a lynching group then," Tsuji mused, "Called it!"

As the grunts slowly surrounded him, Takeda tossed his bag to the side and tossed his cell phone on top of it. He couldn't involve Kenichi in this fight. He'd endure it alone, otherwise, he would regret it if anything happened to Kenichi.

"Alright, let's stomp the crippled boxer," Koga grinned, "Let's make him more worried about the rest of his body!"

Koga was ready to jump in to attack when Ukita intervened, stating he would take care of it. Ukita started off stating how he always thought Takeda was weird, with all the sportsmanship he would show after a fight and how it ticked him off. Takeda merely gave him a sad smile before waving his right hand, ready to fight. Ukita roared and took one step...and grabbed Koga instead, using him as a human bat to attack the other grunts before chucking Koga as a projectile at Kisara and Tsuji. Kisara dodged, but Tsuji quickly caught Koga in midair.

"HAHAHA!" Ukita laughed, "I, Ukita the Thrower, am now cutting ties with Ragnarok. So if you got a problem with that, come on down and fight me!"

"Ha, what can you do against all of us?" Koga sneered as Tsuji put him down roughly, "Your only ally is a crippled boxer. Get them!"

"Well, that was true months ago," Ukita snickered as Takeda nodded before he flourished his left hand up.

"Your left hand is working!?" screeched a grunt.

"Calm down, we have overwhelming odds!" said another while charging forward, "Plus, it's probably just a bluff! No way he can use it so quickly."

Takeda gave him a one-two punch, knocking him out instantly.

"Ok, maybe he's not bluffing," gulped another grunt.

"Sorry for dragging you into this," Takeda said as he gave his 'handsome' smile with a twinkle.

"Idiot, I'm not doing this for you," Ukita denied, "I've decided to become a Judo student again and not a delinquent! Now let's crush all these punks!"

"Hmph, disgusting," Kisara sneered, "But we'll grant your wish of a beating. Everyone, crush them!"

The grunts charged, wielding sticks, nunchucks, or their fists. As Takeda and Ukita got ready for the fight of their current lives, the attackers were suddenly assaulted with pebbles that accurately hit their hands, as well as a loud voice, "Leave them alone!"

They all quickly looked to the source to see Kenichi tossing up some pebbles to show he was the one responsible for it while Miu stood next to him. Thanks to Shigure taking a rather more active role in his training during the third year of middle school, Kenichi was able to make accurate throws. Though he refused to wield weapons and/or sharp objects when Shigure pushed for it, stating that weapons were scary. Still Shigure wouldn't give up and was currently plotting something though she had shelved it for now.

"Well, well, looks who's here," Tsuji grinned down at Kenichi, "The man of the hour!...and woman!" Tsuji hastily added as he noticed Miu.

"Hey, it's Big Boobs!" Koga grinned, "This time, we definitely have the superior numbers and quality!"

"Yea, so why don't you leave the girl here?" demanded a grunt with a lusty look on his face, "I'm sure she can entertain us by (insert X-rated insults and stuff that would cause the rating to become M)."

After the grunt was finished, Koga was nodding his head in agreement while Tsuji and his crew looked in disgust.

"This is what you allow in your gang?" Tsuji growled in disgust towards Kisara.

"Of course not," Shiratori snapped, "You can expect that man to be severely punished."

Kisara was too busy looking at Miu and her body. The picture of her in a school uniform did her an injustice. Her 3 sizes were things to be envious, especially her breasts. Kisara looked down at her own chest with envy before labeling Miu as Dairy Cow. Of course, she later agreed with Shiratori that the grunt would be punished for such disgusting behavior. Koga would be punished for seemingly agreeing with the said grunt.

"Now then, die!" laughed the grunt as he charged forward with a pipe.

Kenichi stared at him and released his Ki, sending an overwhelming tension everywhere. Everyone except Miu froze at this while the grunt started shivering.

Kenichi didn't move, but to the grunt, he seemed to be getting bigger and bigger, his eyes glowing with power and his body surrounded with a blue aura.

"Get lost!" Kenichi snapped.

"KKKKKYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAA!"

The man gave off a high pitched scream as his leg muscles gave way, as well as his bladder control. He fell down to the ground unconscious while a rather prominent stain started to surround him.

"Did he just knock someone out with just a glare alone?" Ukita gaped.

Takeda gulped. "I had a feeling he was going easy on us, and now I'm glad he was."

While many of the grunts were slowly backing away, one man stepped forward with a grin.

"HAHAHAHA!" Tsuji laughed with a maniacal grin, "That's more like it! Shirahama Kenichi! I challenge you to a fight. Let's face each other like men!"

While Shinnosuke Tsuji had indeed been frightened by whatever Kenichi unleashed, another part of his spirit roared to meet this man head on in battle, even if he would most likely lose.

Kenichi frowned a bit before nodding slowly, getting into a fighting position. Tsuji was ready to go barreling forward when someone rushed past him.

Kenichi ducked under Kisara's sudden roundhouse kick and moved left just as she stopped her kick midway and tried to heel stomp him.

"Hoo, not bad," Kisara said as she saw him dodge, "You're definitely someone worth recruiting. Let's make a deal. You lose, you join my gang. You win, I'll leave you alone."

"Err, I refuse," Kenichi said blatantly, making some grunts facefault.

"What!? Why? Are you a coward?" Kisara shouted.

"Sorry, but it's against my principles to hit a woman," Kenichi stated.

Silence took hold of the area as the fighters stood still. Kisara was starting to get so angry that steam was leaking out of her ears.

"Eh, I also have that same principle, but I don't think you should be holding on to that for this fight!" shouted Takeda nervously. It was very rare to see his ex-boss this mad.

"Well, I don't give a rat's ass!" Ukita shouted as he charged forward towards Kisara. He grabbed her shirt, which she let him, and threw her towards the wall. Kisara didn't even struggle and let him do it, before flipping in the air to land feet first on the wall and bounced off it.

"Eat this!" Kisara smirked as she spun a bit and used her left foot to kick Ukita in the face.

Or she would've been successful if Miu hadn't suddenly kicked Ukita in the back of his knees, forcing him to kneel down and dodge Kisara's kick by a centimeter, though he did feel his nose burn from her jean scraping by him.

"Please be careful," said Miu as Kisara landed before turning around to face her, "I'll deal with Kisara, since Kenichi doesn't want to fight her because of his principles."

"...Damn Dairy Cow," Kisara muttered as she now got an even closer look at Miu, "Size isn't everything!"

Miu winced at this insult, remembering that Kisara used to call her that until they became closer. She decided to ignore it for the while.

"Everybody else, get them!" Kisara shouted.

Tsuji was already charging towards Kenichi, eager to test his strength. The others began to gang up on Takeda and Ukita, who were fairing pretty well.

"RAAAA!"

Tsuji was trying to land his attacks against Kenichi, but faring poorly. He was already using every dirty trick up his sleeve, from tossing sand in Kenichi's face, to clapping to distract him, even aiming for dirty spots. Kenichi swiftly disabled each attempt and even distracted Tsuji by thrusting his fist to Tsuji's right side, where he looked at it before getting hit on the left.

Still, he wouldn't give up! Not until he was forced into unconsciousness.

"Surprise attack!" Koga screamed as he tried to kick Kenichi's head from behind.

"Koga you bloody coward!" Tsuji roared, "I didn't ask for your help!"

Tsuji dashed forward, hoping to stop Kenichi from being hit, but it seemed like there was no need. Kenichi grabbed the offending leg, and with a roar, tossed Koga into the nearby chain link fence.

"Well, you certainly know how to handle yourself," Tsuji grinned as he assumed a fighting position once more, "Let's continue this fight!"

Knowing that trying to use logic to talk down Tsuji would be pointless, Kenichi prepared himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kisara was unable to land a hit at Miu at all, only increasing her jealousy. Not only did Miu have a bigger chest, but she seemed to be even stronger than her.

Takeda and Ukita were slowly pushing back the wave of grunts when Ukita decided to go for Shiratori. Shiratori kicked towards Ukita's head twice, but Ukita blocked both attempts with his forearm before diving forward to grab Shiratori's shirt. It would've been a successful grab had he not tripped on one of the many rocks Kenichi had thrown. Instead, his hands ended up grabbing Shiratori's chest.

Both of their minds blanked out at this as Choju Giga birds flew around them. Shiratori's face was starting to bypass red and proceed into crimson while Ukita was frozen.

"Ukita, what are you doing? Hurry up and throw him or something!" Takeda shouted as he cross-countered a grunt.

At his voice, Ukita's hands clenched down a bit, eliciting a moan from Shiratori.

'So soft and firm,' thought Ukita, 'But isn't Shiratori a dude? Why would he have boobs? He doesn't look fat, and I'm pretty sure he works out. Unless..."

Ukita's train of thought was derailed when Shiratori screamed.

"PERVERT!"

Three simultaneous kicks slammed into Ukita, two from Shiratori and Kisara, and one from Miu, who decided Ukita needed punishment for groping a girl's chest.

"Ouch," Takeda winced as he saw Ukita slam into a wall before slowly trailing down, "But what was that for?"

"For groping a maiden's chest!" Miu huffed while Shiratori was covering her chest with her hands.

"Wait, but isn't Shiratori a guy?" Takeda asked in confusion, along with 1/4th of the lynching group that was still conscious.

"I never once stated that I was a man," Shiratori stated as she glared at Ukita.

Any further conversation was halted when another voice was heard.

"Beware, Ragnarok! For the Shinpaku Alliance has come!"

Up from the walls stood Niijima cackling with the other members he had recruited, standing at ready. Matsui was once again waving the giant flag with the Shinpaku logo on it.

"Shit, it's a new gang!"

"Run!"

"Retreat!"

Kisara could only grit her teeth as she called in the retreat. Tsuji was all for staying, but even he knew when it was time to retreat to protect his men.

"Shall we pursue?" asked Kimoto, a loyal member who was once again part of the group.

"No, we'll let them go!" Niijima cackled evilly, "We'll show mercy, and they'll help us spread word of our group and fear us!"

The members of the newly formed Shinpaku alliance quickly went down to see if anyone needed help.

"We're good," Takeda shrugged, "Just a few bruises. We have no casualti...well almost no casualties."

He glanced at the unconscious Ukita, who was being put on a stretcher.

"But how'd you know I'd be attacked?" Takeda asked.

"Oooh I have my sources," Niijima grinned, "After that, I sent a message to Kenichi alerting him about this lynching."

"Takeda-senpai," Kenichi started, "I told you to call me if you were in trouble."

"Sorry, but-" Takeda began, but was interrupted by Kenichi.

"No. I know you didn't want to entertain the possibility that I would end up like you did when you went to save your friend, but if I was given the choice, I would rather lose my arms than not save my friends. I started practicing martial arts because I wanted to defend people from bullies and become a true hero. I wouldn't be that if I didn't come to your aid."

Seeing the resolute conviction in Kenichi's eyes, Takeda could only look down in slight shame before looking straight at Kenichi and nodded in understanding.

* * *

 _A few days later_

Takeda was sitting at a cafe, sipping on some tea while he was waiting for someone he hadn't met for a long time.

"Takeda!"

It was Akeshita, Takeda's...ex-best friend. They hadn't been in contact ever since Takeda's left arm was crippled. Their paths diverged when Akeshita continued on his path of being a pro boxer while Takeda was left drowning and involving himself with gangs.

"Akeshita, it's been awhile," Takeda smiled as he waved with his right hand, his left still in his pocket.

"Yea, I've been busy with road work and all that," Akeshita apologized, "Sorry I didn't have time to talk with you at least."

"I heard you're getting a title match soon, aren't you? Looking to take the Japanese Lightweight belt? "

"Yea, it's open season on that right now. That Mashiba vs Sawamura match was bloody and ended with both fighters unable to fight, the former being suspended and the latter unable to participate in matches anymore. Since I'm second in the Japanese rankings for Lightweight, I get to duke it out with the fourth ranker, as I just beat the third ranker months ago. That belt will be mine!"

"Good luck man!"

"So what else is this about? You couldn't have called me out here just to talk," Akeshita questioned as the water he ordered arrived.

"I'm here to tell you that I'll be going back into the world of boxing soon," Takeda grinned.

Akeshita almost choked on his water, coughing it out to the side quickly.

"Say what?" Akeshita coughed as soon as he evacuated all of the water from his lungs, "Are you planning to box with only one hand?"

"Nope. I went to a doctor and he said that my left arm isn't permanently crippled like I thought."

Akeshita looked around before leaning towards Takeda, telling him to do the same and whispered, "Takeda, you sure? We went to that expensive doctor who specializes in injuries like this, and he told us it wasn't possible. You sure this doctor your going to isn't just conning you?"

Takeda smiled and placed his left hand on Akeshita's shoulder, before replying, "I'm pretty sure he's telling the truth."

Akeshita looked at the left hand in shock before smiling at Takeda, congratulating him on the potential recovery.

The two were about to separate when Takeda quickly warned him, "Oh, and that doctor we went to? Don't go to him anymore, I think he's a quack."

"I'll keep that warning in mind," Akeshita nodded and left.

Takeda watched him leave before walking away to a corner and talked to the shadow of a pole.

"I still don't know why you had me talk to him," questioned Takeda, "I wasn't even planning on telling him, considering we haven't been in contact for a long time. That and since he kinda abandoned me after that fight. I only did what you told me to because you said you were Kenichi's best friend."

"That's his worst best friend," Niijima chuckled as he appeared from the shadow.

"I...don't quite get that," Takeda sweatdropped.

"Nevertheless, I've had some suspicions when I heard your story," Niijima explained, "Not everything seems to be what it appears. Watching your friend Akeshita's face certainly confirmed some of them."

"Confirmed what?" Takeda asked confusedly.

"I'll follow up more on it, don't worry about it," Niijima waved him off, "But in the meantime, are you interested in joining the Shinpaku Alliance?"

"I'm not going to be a delinquent anymore!" growled Takeda.

"Ohoho, but the Shinpaku Alliance isn't one," Niijima grinned as he put one hand on Takeda's shoulder. Two antennas suddenly sprouted from his head and latched onto Takeda's head.

"We are a small elite group of martial artists," Niijima explained as he began to brainwash his newest victim, "We aren't looking to be delinquents, but rather a group of people looking to push and dive into the path of martial arts. You seem like a talented and determined man. You would fit in well with us! Kenichi is a part of the group, as is Miu! I can promise you once your rehabilitation is complete, I have contacts with a boxer who is a master in the art. He makes all those world title champions seem like chumps!"

Takeda never stood a chance against Niijima's brainwashing technique as Niijima continued to pile mounds of logic, reasoning, and persuasion on him.

Off in the distance, Akeshita looked up into the sky before punching a fence in anger. He would have to make a few calls and make sure that Takeda never made it into the boxing ring.

* * *

 **Ohoho what's this? A conspiracy? Find out more next time! Might come out faster! I've always felt like Takeda's injury was somewhat suspicious. Again, still a somewhat steamroll going on. Also, kudos to those who figure out the Easter Egg I dropped in.**

 **Thanks for reading, leave a review!**

 **Alright, side notes. I put up a poll on what my next story, a My Hero Academia story, should be. Check out my profile and vote what type of story you want me to write!**

 **Just a friendly reminder, I have a pat reon page! Just search azndrgn. otherwise (Pat reon) . coom/ azndrgn, removing the obvious o, (), and spaces. Come donate if you're feeling generous. Otherwise, enjoy the story. Also want to thank those that did donate!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I had giggles while I was writing this chapter out. Hope you all enjoy this one! There will be tiny stories within the manga that I will skim over.**

 **Also, friendly reminder that the poll on my profile will be ending on July 30th. If you haven't voted yet, go vote! That, and I have a pat reon page, just look up azndrgn creating fanfiction.**

 **On with the story! A/N at the end.**

* * *

Kenichi and Miu were back in class once more, taking a well deserved break from the last Ragnarok fight. There had been a few gangsters trying to prove they could join Ragnarok by defeating Kenichi, all of which had been quickly put down. Takeda and Ukita had thanked Kenichi and the others for the rescue, though Ukita had trouble remembering what had happened. All he remembered was he had gone to tackle Shiratori, then everything else was a blank. Nobody was willing to tell him he had groped Shiratori's chest, so he remained clueless on both what he did and Shiratori's gender.

Finally, Niijima was busy spreading the news of the Shinpaku alliance and Kenichi's reputation. He didn't spread anything about Miu, but everyone already knew that wherever Kenichi was, Miu was with him.

"Kenichi, Miu," Natsu greeted with his usual princely smile, "I have a favor to ask of both of you."

"Both of us?" Kenichi clarified in confusion.

"Yes," Natsu nodded, "The theater club is a little understaffed for our next play. I need someone to play Juliet while I play Romeo. You, Kenichi...can play as a tree."

Kenichi was sorely tempted to punch Natsu for that joke but withheld his anger.

"I'm just kidding," Natsu smiled, though only Miu and Kenichi could tell he wasn't, "I want you to play as Tybalt."

"Juliet's cousin?" Kenichi frowned, "I don't know about you, but I don't exactly fit the bad guy, so to speak. Why not Mercutio, perhaps? You and I are good friends, right?"

"Don't joke around," Natsu laughed for the audience, while inside his mind he was contemplating whether he was fast enough to snap Kenichi's neck, "Though I'm surprised you know other characters in the play."

"Natsu, you've been into my room before," Kenichi deadpanned, "What was the first thing you noticed?"

Natsu blinked as he remembered his first comment was that there was a lot of books. He had forgotten about that and when Kenichi had told him that he wanted to be an author.

"Plus, Miu and I are dating. I'd rather be the one playing as Romeo or something else."

"Oh, can you perform Romeo's role flawlessly?" Natsu asked, "The character that has the most lines in the play?"

Kenichi just mumbled silently before replying no.

"Fine, but not Tybalt," Kenichi snapped.

The two of them argued for a bit before finalizing his role as Benvolio.

"Oh, and quick warning," Kenichi added, "You might want to edit the kissing scene. I don't think the Elder would like that, even if it was for a play."

Natsu actually had to suppress a shiver up his spine as he remembered meeting the Elder. He had no desire to have that...man's wrath be directed towards him.

"I'll be sure to change that scene to a kiss on the cheek," Natsu nodded, "Plus, my little sister will be coming to watch too. I have to make sure she doesn't get any ideas about kissing boys yet."

Luckily, Natsu had given them a ten-day notice, compared to the five-day notice from the last timeline. Also due to the fact that Niijima had secretly spread the fact that Kenichi and Miu were currently in the theater club, none of the punks seemed eager to push the theater club members around. The Fighting Arts Research Association promptly withdrew all harassment towards them in fear of retaliation from the Shinpaku Alliance.

Miu was easily able to play the role of Juliet having done it once before. Still, she went to Akisame for a general review. Kenichi surprised everyone by easily memorizing all of his lines in a single day. Seeing as he still dreamed of being a Naoki Award-winning author, he had read and reviewed Romeo and Juliet many times before as part of learning how to write a good story. Of course, memorizing the lines and being able to perform them are two completely different things. Kenichi was thankful that he had more than five days as he kept stuttering for a week until Akisame finally managed to get him to speak clearly.

Meanwhile, Kisara was busy with her intensive training as well as venting her anger on her hapless punching bags. She wanted to get a rematch against Miu, whom she had nicknamed Dairy Cow. She received news that Kenichi and Miu were set to perform in a play soon and decided to strike on that day. Miu and Kenichi would be unprepared and in clothing that would be ill-suited for combat. It didn't matter that they wouldn't be prepared, only that her victory would come. That, and embarrassing them on stage would be a huge bonus. Hermit had sent orders to tell her to leave Miu and Kenichi alone for the play, but she blatantly ignored them. She, of course, would send her grunts to hunt down the new Shinpaku Alliance while she went to find Miu.

* * *

The day of the play arrived and to Miu's delight, the Elder would be attending it. Originally, he had missed it due to business in the South. He had left three days before the play and hadn't been able to return fast enough. Hearing that he missed it the first time, he swore he wouldn't do so and dragged Sakaki to help him with his mission. Sakaki tried to complain, but a simple sentence from the Elder stopped him cold.

"Miu is making more money than you, and you're an adult."

Sakaki could only look away in guilt and tried to say that he made big money in one go, but the sad truth was that Miu was indeed making money from her stocks, thanks to Niijima. Shigure and Apachai tried to volunteer to help, but the Elder kindly refused. He needed someone who could at least be discreet for his next mission, and Sakaki was the only one available that could do so besides Akisame and Kensei, but those two had their clinics to run.

Still, there was lots of fighting, which allowed Sakaki to enjoy himself. His help ensured that they completed the mission quick enough that they were able to make it back in time to see the play, with an extra five hours to spare.

Kenichi's family also attended the play, happy to see Kenichi being more proactive with others. Though he was smart and popular back in elementary and middle school, his parents had noticed that his list of friends was comprised of only Miu and Niijima, with Natsu as a big maybe. Kaede was sitting next to Honoka, both eager to watch their brothers perform.

While Kenichi's family and Natsu's sister took the front row on the left side, Ryozanpaku's masters took the right side front row. A small pathway split the two sides apart, leading up to the gym exit. The Elder, however, opted to take the back seat right side closest to the door. His excuse was that because he was so huge if he sat in the front, he would inevitably block people's view from watching the play. However, he had another reason for sitting in the back today. As the lights dimmed, someone took the back seat left side closest to the door. The man seemed rather unnoticeable, wearing a worn-out suit that seemed to be too big for him. His hairstyle was black and parted down the middle, his bangs covering his eyes. When asked for his name from the ticket booth, he gave it as Okamoto.

"So, you did come," the Elder grumbled, once again using his technique, the Obstructive Lung Voice, to talk to Okamoto, "And I see you're using that disguise."

"I missed out on her childhood," replied the disguised Saiga Fuurinji, "I can't afford to miss out on some of her activities. Especially since you did threaten me if I didn't come."

The Elder huffed. "I did no such thing."

Saiga merely smiled before putting a small memorial tablet next to his seat, with the name Shizuha Furinji inscribed onto it.

As the curtains began to part, the Elder made a small comment towards Saiga, "You know, it would be nice if Miu had a mother figure. Perhaps you could find someone. I'm sure Shizuha wouldn't mind."

"I know she wouldn't, but I can't forget about her, especially how she died," Saiga frowned, "I swore I would avenge her, and I can't do that if I try to find somebody else. It would be dishonest to both women. What about you? Mom told me to tell you to remarry if she passed away earlier than you. Miu could use a grandmother, considering she never met her. How about...Mikumo Kushinada? She keeps harping to me in private how I could've been her son, and how you both felt what she described as 'hot fires of passions blazing between you two'?"

"Those were burning forts and tanks that we destroyed back during WWII!" the Elder muttered, almost losing control of the technique, "There was absolutely nothing between us!"

"Be honest, father, if she hadn't fallen into the path of Satsujinken, would you have dated her?" Saiga asked curiously.

"...I refuse to dignify that question with a response,"

Saiga had to stifle a laugh. "I guess it was better you met mom. I can only imagine how screwed up my childhood would have been with her as my mother. Not to mention the fact that the Kuremisago Clan would have gone crazy if I was descended from both you and the Kushinada family. Regardless, it's not too late to try to persuade her to switch back."

"Let's just watch the play," the Elder suggested, ending the conversation there.

* * *

On the stage, the students were quickly getting ready to perform, each one doing last minute check-ups while their adviser was on stage, who had started the narration part of the story. Unfortunately, Kenichi was panicking.

"Dammit, of all the times to get stage fright!?" Natsu cursed as he tried to get Kenichi to calm down, "Why didn't you say anything about it?"

He would not let this idiot ruin the play that his sister wanted to watch!

"I didn't even know I could get it!" Kenichi whispered. He was shocked. He had faced masters, deathmatches, life or death situations. And while he had been scared for...well all of them, he always managed to find the courage to push through. And now, that courage was failing him for a simple school play.

"We have minutes left before you go on," Natsu hissed before turning to Miu, "Do something!"

Miu pursed her lips in contemplation before arriving towards a solution. Her grandfather couldn't see her, and she was sure nobody else would say anything. Plus, she had wanted to do this for a while, too. She grabbed Kenichi's head, turning his face towards her, and gave him a deep passionate kiss to the lips.

Kenichi froze for a second before feeling her tongue touching his before he responded, their tongues dancing together before a hiss from Natsu pulled them apart.

"For luck and courage," Miu blushed before she gave Kenichi a small push forward.

Inside Kenichi, his courage meter, which had been at 0, suddenly burst past 100 and broke the thermometer that had been the measuring device. With courage enough to even spar with the Elder at 0.0002%, which took a lot of courage, he stepped onto the stage as Benvolio.

"My son on stage!" Mototsugu cried happily as he saw him, "Look at him perform without any flaw to his lines! Without any hesitation in his movements! He truly has my blood running in him, with that courage!"

'Dear, I think it's less of your blood and more of mine,' Saori snickered mentally.

"Look, look, Onii-chan is on!" Honoka clapped, along with Kaede.

The scene progressed without any error, and mock sword fights were held. Shigure stared at Kenichi holding the sword in a proper position but knew he did not know how to fight with a sword nor a weapon. That would have to be corrected soon if he was going to be her disciple.

As Kenichi finished his last line for the scene, he looked out to the audience to see his parents and masters. As he swept over the audience, he almost tripped when he saw Saiga Furinji in disguise at the back. He had seen his Mr. Okamoto disguise before back in the old timeline.

"Miu," Kenichi hissed as he made it backstage while the stage crew quickly shifted props for a scene change, "Your father is here!"

"What!?" Miu nearly shouted, quickly peeking out to the crowd, "Where?"

"By the Elder, left side audience," replied Kenichi.

Miu saw the disguise and almost shed a tear. She was sure that her father had never been in contact with her ever in the old timeline until the Tidat incident, so why was he here now? Did her grandfather have anything to do with it? It didn't matter now, her father was here, along with the rest of her family, and she was going to do her best!

"Was it just me, or did the kid who played Benvolio know martial arts, and already knows how to invoke Ki?" Saiga asked as his eyes narrowed towards Kenichi as he left the stage.

"He's Ryozanpaku's first and strongest disciple to come," answered the Elder, "He's all of our disciples."

"...Honestly, I'm not sure whether to be amazed or pity him," Saiga admitted.

The Elder frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Father, I've undergone your training before. If he's doing that, along with the training programs of everyone else at Ryozanpaku, he must have stared death in the eye plenty of times," Saiga deadpanned.

"That's...not...true," replied The Elder hesitantly.

"Oh, I see Miu!" smiled Saiga, his hand gently touching the memorial tablet, "She's playing Juliet, huh. It suits her. The Romeo actor sure knows how to act too, and I can tell he also practices martial arts. Those two aren't going out together, are they?"

"No, definitely not," snorted the Elder.

"Good, she's too young for that," Saiga nodded.

'Oh how far away from the truth that is,' smirked the Elder mentally.

Miu played Juliet beautifully, even more than the last time she played Juliet in the last timeline. As Miu began to leave the stage to allow the stage crew to change scenes as well as change clothes, she locked eyes with Saiga and smiled.

"Dad?" Saiga asked nervously, "Miu doesn't know I'm here, right? Nor that I'm in disguise? You didn't tell her anything did you? Why does it seem like she knows I'm here and she knows who I am?"

"Of course," nodded the Elder, "On my honor and word as the Grand Master of Ryozanpaku, I have not said a single word about you to Miu."

The Elder didn't feel like adding the fact that Saiga's future self-had done that already, or that Miu was a time traveler.

* * *

Kisara and her gang were walking towards the gym, where the play was being held. Kisara was looking for a rematch while Koga just wanted to touch Miu inappropriately as usual. Shiratori was right next to Kisara, getting ready to direct the grunts to search for the new Shinpaku group. Tsuji had refused to help, stating he would be sending Kenichi a challenge himself, mano a mano. Unfortunately, this decision made all but two of his best friends/lackeys leave his gang. The others believed Kenichi to be too strong for Tsuji, and that he was just looking to be crushed. Better to follow a leader with reasonable goals and benefits instead of one looking for death. Tsuji raged, but he kept his word, never looking back.

"Get ready to hunt for the Shinpaku members," Kisara announced as they arrived at the gym doors, "We've got an act to crash."

The doors were open so as to allow audience members who needed to use the bathroom to go out without disturbing everybody else, so Kisara saw they had made it to the part where Romeo was at the Capulet ball with Benvolio and Mercutio, and Juliet had arrived.

"Perfect, Kenichi and Dairy Cow are both here," Kisara grinned.

"I'm going to get first blood!" Koga declared as he began to run towards the stage, "And I'll take the Big Boobie girl as my plaything!"

He took one step right where the back seats of the audience chairs were and felt like he had stepped into the valley of death itself. Two murderous aura filled the air Koga was breathing, all directed towards him. Koga fainted and began to fall forward when the Elder caught him by the scruff of his shirt and quickly put him on the empty seat next to him.

To most of the audience, all they felt was a cold chill before it disappeared, and believed it was just that the air conditioning had kicked in.

To most of the masters sitting in the front row, they felt the ki spike, but for the most part, ignored it. They were familiar with the Elder's, and though they were not familiar with the other one, they decided to shelve it for later. The Elder seemingly hadn't done anything, so the unknown martial artist was not a danger to them. Only Akisame froze for a bit. It belonged to a man whom he once called a friend, whom he thought had transformed a cold-hearted killer despite his concious telling otherwise, only to discover the truth behind it.

'That ki...I've felt it before. Saiga? What is he doing here? Did the Elder invite him here watch Miu perform?'

Shelving these thoughts for later, he returned his attention towards the play.

"What just happened?" Kisara asked in a daze, "What the actual fuck just happened?"

They all saw Koga charging in when he went one step past the audience members before suddenly feeling that chill. They saw Koga falling forward before he became a blur and disappeared. It took them roughly ten seconds before they noticed Koga conveniently sitting next to what seemed to be the biggest person they'd ever seen. Kisara could easily see and feel power emanating from the man. Before she could do anything, though, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

"What!?" she bristled as she turned around just meet face to face with Siegfried, the Fifth Fist of Ragnarok.

"Siegfried-sama!" Shiratori gasped, "What are you doing here?"

"I shall explain lalalalalaaaa," Siegfried began, "In soonnnnnggg!"

"Please don't," Kisara huffed, but Siegfried ignored it.

"I came here to seeee," Siegfried sang, "A classical play people all over know! I was invited to see itttt! And am currently enjoying it so farrrr! So I would appreciate itttt! If you and your gang didn't disrupt today's playy! Otherwise, I will be forced to take action! Upponnn youuu!"

Kisara was grinding her teeth in anger now, but a quick whisper from Shiratori reminding her that Hermit had also ordered her to leave Kenichi and Miu alone. With two Fists now ordering her to not disrupt the play, Kisara could only obey and leave. They could pick Koga up later.

As Siegfried was sure that they left, he felt his phone vibrate. Not even letting it complete its first vibration, he picked it up swiftly.

"My demon lord, they came just as you predicted and I have successfully deterred them away. Though I doubt I was truly needed. Not with those two guardians sitting at the entrance."

"Kehehe, it's never safe to assume otherwise," Niijima cackled through the phone, "Though curiously, what guardians?"

Siegfried quickly described them before taking a photo of their backs and sending them to him, almost causing Niijima to fall over in shock.

"Err, yea I know them," Niijima said quickly, "The big one is Miu's grandfather. The other one...is classified."

"Oh, how wise you are!" Siegfried praised, "But on another note, as I have been spying on my fellow other fists, I have been given notice that Loki, the Fourth Fist, has received an interesting offer. Apparently, it revolves around Takeda the Fist, the ex-member of Kisara's troops. I'm not too sure what it's about, but I'll look more into it."

"See that you do," Niijima nodded, "I think I know what it is, but keep me posted."

"As you say, my lord," Siegfried bowed, "And now, I'm off to watch the play! Laaa! Lalalalalalalalaaa!"

And with that, he hung up.

"Haaa it's good to have him back by my side," grinned Niijima, "Now hearing that Miu's father is there was a bit of a surprise. Still, I'm sure he's enjoying the play. For now, let's see what I can find out about Rimi Kokorone."

* * *

The play went off without a hitch, and any potential lip kissing was replaced with a peck on the cheek and some line changes so Natsu could live without the Elder glaring at him. He still felt the heat of those glares when he even pecked Miu on the cheek and was thankful they decided to not completely follow the original script. Otherwise, he would fear for his life, this being the only time he would ever actually admit to that.

"Onii-chan, that was soooo cool!" Kaede smiled as she tackled Natsu and hugged him by the waist. Natsu merely smiled as he patted her head, tossing the flowers some female members gave to him. To him, the hug was more important than some plant that would just die in the future.

Honoka was doing the same to Kenichi, asking him to take her out to the park sometime or even help her do a play for their parents. Mototsugu was crying manly tears while Saori congratulated him.

Miu was surrounded by the Ryozanpaku masters except for Apachai, who needed to use the bathroom but got lost and ended up playing basketball for the school team, cementing his legend within the school once more. Sakaki went to retrieve him. As the Elder hugged Miu, she quickly looked around.

"Your father left," whispered the Elder, "He doesn't know that you know. I thought it would make you feel better if he saw your play."

"It did," Miu smiled as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"He left you this," said the Elder, presenting a single flower, "Your mother loved this type of flower, and he thought you might too. Of course, he told me to tell you it was from me."

"It's beautiful," Miu sighed in gratitude as she took it, "Someday, we'll be able to pull him back in."

"Indeed, I hope so too," nodded the Elder.

* * *

Summer vacation arrived, and after much thought, Akisame decided to head off to visit their fellow friend who resided in the mountains, Taiki Yamamoto and his son Naoki. Last time Kenichi had gone to get some training in tactics. This time, Akisame decided to go alone to not only visit but see if Taiki would be willing to aid Ryozanpaku when it came time, especially when Yami's plan unveiled itself. Akisame was puzzled why Taiki hadn't come the last timeline when he asked Kenichi who had come with them during the invasion. However, he figured that due to the fact Taiki lived in the mountains he had absolutely no clue what was going on, as he didn't get news.

Kenichi considered going, if only to say hi to Naoki, when Shigure suddenly dragged him by the scruff of his uniform.

"Today...I get the longest...training time...," Shigure said as she finished dragging him to an open field.

Kenichi was quite confused as to what Shigure wanted. She had been quite silent after the play for a while. He got his answer as a real sword landed in front of him.

"Today...we practice...with real weapons," stated Shigure as her face became eerily scary, her eyes glowing as she began to draw out her blade.

Kenichi took one look at the blade and screamed, causing the masters and Miu to quickly come to see what was going on. Even Akisame, who had been just about ready to leave, came running to see what was going on.

"Blades are scary, blades are scary!" chanted Kenichi as he glued himself to Miu's leg.

"What brought this on?" asked the Elder as he noticed Miu patting Kenichi in the head, trying to comfort him.

"I just...wanted to teach him...more about weapons," Shigure pouted, "It seems...my future self...only taught him...how to fight...against them."

"Well that's true," admitted Miu as she tried to slowly pry Kenichi off, though mentally, she didn't really mind it. It was just her grandfather happened to be there.

"I can see why," said Akisame as he raised his eyebrow at Kenichi's chant, "But what brought this on Shigure?"

"The...play...Kenichi knew the proper stance...but not really the proper style," said Shigure.

'I guess Niijima was right about how some changes can really affect things,' thought Miu as she managed to calm Kenichi down.

"Well, it looks like Shigure really wants her disciple to know how to use a weapon," Kensei chuckle.

"It's not something we can force on him though," Sakaki frowned.

"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to learn," said the Elder as he scratched his head, "He is the disciple of all of us. He wouldn't really be Shigure's disciple if he only knew how to fight against weapons, which we all know."

"But the problem lies in the blade," pondered Akisame, "Kenichi clearly does not want to wield one and is afraid of it."

As the masters began to ponder, it was Apachai who solved it easily.

"Apapapa! Then just give him a weapon with no blades, like a club!"

The other masters blinked before smacking their foreheads with their palms.

"Indeed, in Chinese Martial Arts there is the metal fan or the three-sectional staff he could use," Kensei grinned, "Even I have some practice with the staff."

"Aye, in Karate there are some forms that involve using nunchucks or tonfa, though I've never used them before," Sakaki scoffed as he chugged on another can of beer.

"Apapapa, Apachai doesn't know much about blunt weapons!" Apachai laughed, "Apachai only learned how to use his body to fight!"

"There are plenty of weapons that do not have an edge," Akisame nodded sagely, "Even swords can be from wood or other materials."

"But I don't really want to learn how to use a sword," Kenichi whined, "Even if they're fake, I still think they are scary."

"Well, that rules out quite a few," chuckled the Elder, "Tell me, which weapon would you consider using at all?"

"I don't know," sighed Kenichi, "I know Shigure-sensei can use any weapon and not cause intentional harm towards others and teach me like that, but I don't want the chance that the smallest mistake could cause a limb to fall. Weapons were generally made to take a life."

"I don't think that could happen," Miu sweatdropped.

"Now, now, he does have a valid point, even if it's to the point of exaggeration," placated the Elder, "In that case, would you be willing to listen to my suggestion?"

"Ohh, which weapon would you suggest our pupil learn?" Kensei asked.

"Easy. Have him learn the three-sectional staff and/or a modified rope dart, with dart part just being a bag of sand," suggested the Elder.

"That wouldn't be a rope dart, but rather a single-headed meteor hammer or dragon's fist," corrected Kensei, "But both weapons I can help Shigure teach Kenichi how to use, as I've had a little experience on both."

"Curiously, why those?" Sakaki asked, "I mean, the tonfa is a blunt weapon too. Though, it's not like I wanted to teach him that or anything."

"Because of their ability to capture without injury," answered the Elder, "Kenichi is the type of person who doesn't like to cause injuries unless it's unavoidable. Both weapons can provide him with a way to capture and defeat his enemy without injury. Not to mention, neither carries the same dangers that Kenichi fears, the fear of maiming his enemy beyond healing. Tonfa could work, but like you said, you don't have any real experience teaching it."

"Bah, can't be too hard," Sakaki muttered, causing most of Ryozanpaku to laugh.

"Well, Kenichi, are you willing to learn how to use weapons?" asked the Elder as they all calmed down, "Keep in mind, we will not force you to do so. This was more on a whim that Shigure wanted to do. Though also take into account that getting lessons from her is rather rare, as she has had many weapons users begging her to teach them, including ones older than her."

Shigure pouted but nodded in agreement. Kenichi looked at Miu, who just tilted her head while smiling. Whatever he chose, she would always support him.

Kenichi took a deep breath as he knew he was taking a step beyond what he was comfortable with and nodded.

* * *

Several days passed as Kenichi experienced more bruises. Shigure's training was slowly making its way up the rankings on which master had the most sadistic training. Sadly, most of his bruises were mistakes he made with his own weapon, causing it to bounce off his body harshly. The weapons made for him were rather shoddy and quick jobs, but they would help him with the basics. Shigure promised him that she would construct him a weapon that was more suitable.

It was around this time that Kenichi noticed Kensei acting weird, not even spying on Shigure and Miu when they had been bathing at the hot springs. When he saw him not even reading his porn magazine, but rather holding it upside down, he knew it was time for Kensei to go to Chinatown and meet his brother, Sogetsu.

Kenichi knew that Kensei knew that he would try to follow him and try to stop or lose him, so Kenichi made a different plan, thanks to Niijima as usual. Cunning plans were more of his best horrible friend's department anyway.

As soon as Kensei departed from Ryozanpaku in the middle of the night, Miu phoned Kenichi to notify him. Kenichi was back at his house, playing with his little sister and to his surprise, Kaede. He wasn't sure what Natsu was doing but decided it had to be important. Quickly leaving the house, he caught up with Miu, where they took the express train to Yokohama, Chinatown, thanks to Niijima's unusual connections. They arrived earlier than Kensei, as he had taken the regular train, and quickly made their way to the Imperial Wrath Restaurant, where they knew Kensei would be. However, they found someone they never expected.

"Natsu?" Kenichi asked as he and Miu stopped when Natsu unintentionally crossed their paths in Chinatown.

Natsu winced as he was wearing his Hermit uniform, complete with the gloves signifying he was the sixth Fist of Ragnarok.

"What are you two doing here?" Natsu demanded, trying to shift the subject away from his clothes.

"We came here following Ma-shifu," Kenichi answered, "My master was acting strange and came here. What about you?"

"I...err...came here to buy some Chinese ingredients to have Chinese food with Kaede tonight!" Natsu lied.

"Kaede is at my house, isn't she?" Kenichi asked, causing Natsu to wince as a Choju Giga bunny that had been hopping around was pierced by this.

It was true that whenever Natsu had business, whether by work, school, or Ragnarok, he would have Kaede go to the Shirahama household to sleep over. Saori and Mototsugu welcomed this easily with no argument, stating that they were starting to see Kaede as a second daughter.

Natsu had mixed feelings about this arrangement. As much as he wanted to snap Kenichi's neck for the embarrassment and being able to find his real personality, he didn't hate the Shirahama family. Kenichi was just the one he hated the most, with the father coming second, though not very close. Then again, he hated a lot of things and Kenichi surprisingly wasn't as high as the others. Mototsugu proved himself when one of the traitorous coworkers in Natsu's company tried to pick up Kaede from school.

 _Small flashback._

"Let go of me," Kaede cried as a man held on to her hands.

"Tanimoto-sama, your brother sent me to pick you up," exasperated the man as he tried to pull Kaede to his car.

"Liar! My brother would never send someone I've never seen. Plus, you never even said the secret code!"

The man was getting tired and ready to just pick up Kaede and force her into his car when he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. He turned around just to see a double-barreled rifle pointed to his head and promptly dropped Kaede.

"Honey, aim for the leg," Saori said, not even stopping her husband or figuring out where he has hidden the gun.

Seeing Mototsugu already shifting his aim, the man figured out that Mototsugu was a man who shot first and asked questions….probably never if the target was dead. With speed and an agility the man never knew he had, he dove into his car and drove off.

 _Flashback end_

Hearing about that, Natsu felt it was safe to allow Kaede to stay with Honoka for the while.

"So, what are you doing here?" Miu asked again.

"I...er...your friend Niijima," Natsu started as he scratched his head in embarrassment, "He gave me info that my old shitty master might be around here. I've been looking for awhile now, and had no luck."

The two time travelers glanced at each other and knew Niijima had sent Natsu here on purpose, but for what reason?

"I think we know where you need to go," Kenichi sighed, "Follow us."

* * *

Kensei arrived at the Imperial Wrath Restaurant, pondering about the situation. According to Kenichi from the other timeline, he had accompanied him here, though Kenichi wouldn't tell him everything that happened here. And yet, he wasn't here now. Kensei admitted that if Kenichi had tried to come, though, he would've insisted he stay at Ryozanpaku, time traveler or not. Still, he had to admit he felt a bit disappointed.

"Maybe they forgot the date, confused it, or the timing was completely off from the old timeline," mused Kensei as he walked into the Imperial Wrath Restaurant, where his uncle Hakubi, otherwise known as Ma Ryo, who really was his uncle, worked.

"Hi Ma-Shifu," Kenichi greeted.

"Senior," Natsu greeted.

"Hello," Miu smiled.

"Hey kids," Kensei waved as he walked by them. He stopped as Choju Giga frogs followed him with dots trailing behind them.

"What?! When?! How?!" Kensei shouted as he jumped back in shock.

"You didn't think we'd let you go by yourself, did you?" Kenichi smirked, "You were acting suspicious for days and it seemed time you were going to do something."

Kensei saw the underlying message that Kenichi knew what would happen and that Kensei would've tried to stop him from coming.

"And the boy?" Kensei asked, pointing to Natsu.

"Niijima sent him here," Kenichi frowned.

"So it's true?" Natsu asked, "My master, Ma Sogetsu, is here?"

"That's what I'm here to find out," Kensei ushered them all in behind him.

They all politely greeted Hakubi, where he set up a table for them all to eat.

"My, my, are these all your students?" Hakubi asked.

"No, no," Kensei waved, "The one with the bandages, Shirahama Kenichi, is mine. I sometimes help the blonde girl, but she is Fuurinji Hayato's granddaughter."

"The invincible superman?" Hakubi smiled, "Impressive. From Ryozanpaku, no doubt. What about the other one. I can sense he too is a fighter."

"His objective aligns with mine," Kensei admitted, "So tell me, did he come to Japan?"

"Oh, so the boy has a connection with Ma Sogetsu," Hakubi mused, "But yes. Rumor has it he's working for the mafia around here. Though I must admit, I would've thought you had come here for one more thing."

"You're only worried for your brother?" rang a feminine voice from the upper levels of the restaurant.

A second later, a figure came crashing down trying to kick Kensei, only for him to suddenly dodge. The kick destroyed the table of food, but the trio of disciples managed to grab what they wanted to save from it.

Natsu grabbed his dumplings and dim sums he had planned to take home to give to Kaede. Kenichi grabbed the plate of fried rice he had been enjoying. Miu nabbed the spring rolls in midair.

In the middle of the crash site was a female with purple hair done in an intricate braid and bells. She was wearing a rather skimpy Chinese dress that showed off her curves while allowing her full movement of her body. It was Ma Renka, Kensei's daughter, and a good friend to the time travelers. Though Miu was hoping to make sure Renka knew that Kenichi was hers and would stop trying to pursue her boyfriend.

"Hmph I don't know who you are, but you are-" Kensei started before he saw Kenichi crossing his arms, telling him to stop talking and look. He did so and saw it was his daughter and screamed in fear.

"Are you so shocked to see your daughter, Papa?" Ma Renka sneered.

"Daughter?" Natsu coughed in surprise. He had gone over to Kensei's clinic for checkups as well for Kaede to know that Kensei was a pervert to the highest degree and was shocked that he would have a kid.

"Aye, my true daughter, Ma Renka, age 16," Kensei nodded.

"He as a wife and two more children back at Mainland China," Ryo added.

Natsu coughed even more at this revelation.

"Papa, you're coming home with me now!" Renka yelled as she threw a meteor hammer at him, allowing it to tie around his arm, "I came to Japan as a foreign exchange student just to find you! And when I heard you came here every now and then, I knew I had you! It was only a matter of time!"

"My time here isn't up yet," Kensei said calmly as he cut through the rope with his bare hands as Renka was pulling as hard as she could.

The sudden lack of tension caused Renka to fall backwards, but she managed to hurl her second side of her meteor hammer towards Kensei. Kenichi knew what Kensei was going to do, so he conveniently moved away from him, pulling Miu with him. That left only one target for Kensei to use and the unfortunate target was Natsu Tanimoto, trying to figure out how Kensei of all people got married.

"Sorry, but do a favor for your senior and distract her," Kensei apologized as the rope tied around his neck. Before he could react, Kensei pushed him towards Renka, causing him to fall on her. The rope somehow managed to tangle both of them up as Renka tried to push Natsu off.

"Get off me," growled Natsu before he found himself in a truly awkward situation. Somehow, Renka's butt was now on top of his face while her breasts were pressing down on his stomach. To make things worse, her groin actually went down and stifled his mouth as he was about to say something else.

"Aaaaauuuu~~," Renka moaned before she realized what had happened.

"Pervert! Hentai!" Renka shouted as she began to struggle even more.

"THNN GIT FF MM!" shouted Natsu, while trying to say 'then get off me,', but his voice was still muffled. Luckily, Renka's dress was long enough to provide enough cloth so Natsu's mouth didn't actually make contact with her panties, or worse, skin.

"You know, it's pretty funny to watch the always stoic Tanimoto Natsu fall into this type of situation," Kenichi whispered to Miu.

"Did this happen to you when you came here?" Miu asked.

Kenichi glanced at Miu to see her glaring at him with jealousy in her eyes. Kenichi looked away and whistled as he remembered when he had gotten tangled with Renka. While struggling to escape, though Renka did not put her groin on his mouth like Natsu was 'suffering', Renka's breasts were rather big, almost the same size as Miu's, and she had unintentionally put them on his groin while her skimpy dress had flipped up to reveal her underwear. He was lucky Renka managed to cut away the rope and stand up before she noticed Kenichi Jr. waking up.

"Something like this, but definitely not like what Natsu is going through," Kenichi whistled, still feeling that glare and pout.

"Why are you two staring, hurry up and help me!" Natsu shouted as he managed to wriggle away from Renka's butt.

Luckily Renka had already grabbed a knife and cut through the ropes before turning around to Natsu and trying to slap him, but Natsu blocked it.

"Pervert, take your slap!" Renka shouted, reverting to Chinese in anger.

"It's your own damn fault you kept moving your butt on my face!" Natsu shouted back in Chinese, "You damn exhibitionist!"

The two of them squabbled for a bit before Hakubi reminded them that Kensei had gotten away.

"What do you want with the old pervert?" Natsu grumbled.

"Are you stupid?" Renka questioned, "Papa is the high leader of the Phoenix Martial Arts Alliance, with 100,000 followers! There's nobody who practices Chinese Martial Arts that doesn't know him! But one day, he suddenly left a letter to mama saying that it had become a pain in the butt, turned over full control of the organization to her and disappeared!"

"...I can see how those two are brothers," Natsu mumbled to himself as he compared the Ma brothers together, always running out on anything they felt was too troublesome.

"Speaking of which, where is he!?" Renka shouted as she looked around and started running in a random direction. The trio decided to follow, though Natsu looked like he wanted to go the opposite direction of where Renka was going.

"You three, do you know where he went?" Renka asked.

"We just decided to follow you," Kenichi deadpanned, causing Renka to stomp her legs on the ground in anger before pointing to the three of them, asking who they were and why they were with her father.

"My name is Fuurinji Miu, I live at Ryozanpaku along with my grandfather and several others. Kensei is a resident there."

"...Tanimoto Natsu. No real relationship with the old man beside him being my little sister's primary doctor."

"Shirahama Kenichi! For the time being, Ma-shifu's best student!"

Renka looked at Kenichi for a second before delivering a double palm strike at him. Luckily, Kenichi was prepared for this and blocked it, as he did not want a repeat of last time they first met.

"Hoo, not bad," Renka smirked, "But I know people that would've done better! Since you're clearly not part of the Phoenix Alliance, how much are you paying Papa for tuition?"

"8,000 yen," replied Kenichi.

"Per week? Papa made it too cheap," Renka scoffed, "I'm guessing twice a week?"

"Actually the tuition is per month, and I live at Ryozanpaku, so I'm a live-in disciple, learning every day," said Kenichi, "Plus, I have five other masters in different martial arts field."

Renka stared at Kenichi for a bit before delivering a second palm strike at Kenichi. This time, he wasn't prepared and fell down from the impact.

"Waaa what a sad fate!" Renka cried, "Papa, who was extolled for mastering all Chinese Martial Arts, reduced to teaching someone for such a cheap rate like some third-rate master! And the worst part, he's learning it as though it's something to do in his spare time with other styles!"

"Hey, hey," Kenichi said as he quickly rose to his feet.

"Oh you're back up already," Renka raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yea, I've been praised of being able to take strong hits," Kenichi chuckled.

"That's not praising!" Renka shouted as she tried to hit him again, but Miu quickly grabbed her wrist.

"Stop attacking my _**boyfriend**_ ," Miu said, emphasizing the boyfriend part.

"Let's just go find Kensei," Natsu sighed as he began to walk away.

* * *

Suddenly, a chef was tossed out through the window of another restaurant. Two men, one smoking a cigarette and one much taller and more muscular than the chef stepped out the restaurant. They began to threaten the chef, trying to wring out protection money. The chef refused, stating that Hakubi was gathering them all to force the mafia out. The man with the cigarette merely scoffed before telling his companion to teach the chef a lesson. The muscular man threw the chef towards the ground, only to be caught by Kenichi. After that, Renka gave them five seconds to disappear or suffer the consequences. She counted down to zero just as the big one tried to punch her. The big man threw his fist, only for Renka to push it aside and counter with three punches to his stomach, instantly crumpling him. The punches were just as powerful as they were quick.

The other man growled as he suddenly whipped out a sword, which had been disguised as his belt. Renka dodged it out of instinct, but it did cut the piece of cloth between her cleavage, revealing even more. Before the attacker could do anything, he was hit in the head so hard that he flipped. Natsu had swung his arm like a whip to stop him.

"That was Hikaken, wasn't it?" Renka asked, looking at Natsu at a new light, "Who was your teacher?"

"Just some old drunk," Natsu grumbled.

"And you addressed my Papa as senior. Meaning you have some sort of relationship with Papa. Who are you?" Renka demanded as she narrowed her eyes.

"Let's find out where Kensei-san went," Miu interjected, knowing a fight would break out between Natsu and Renka if the truth were revealed.

"You damn brats," growled the smoker, "Don't think this is over! As far as the mafia is concerned, one word to Ma Sogetsu, and you brats are dead!"

Renka grabbed the smoker by his shirt and glared into his eyes, "Listen, you! Tell us where Ma Sogetsu is!"

When the man began to refuse, Renka twisted his arm behind his back, forcing him to move and telling him to lead them to Ma Sogetsu.

"Not that I'm complaining, but weren't you looking for Kensei, your dad?" asked Natsu.

"Idiot pervert," answered Renka, "Since Papa is looking for Sogetsu, we'll just get there first and wait for him there."

"I'm not a pervert, you exhibitionist," shouted Natsu.

The smoker had a smirk as he thought about leading these brats to the headquarters. Surely, they could take down four brats. And the two girls looked like they would do nicely in a new brothel they were planning to open.

"We'll knock off everyone in your headquarters while we're at it," said Renka, as if reading his mind and twisted the arm harder. The smoker began to cry.

As Renka forced the smoker towards the headquarters, she warned them all about where they would be treading, and that one wrong step could mean the end of their life.

"I'm going," huffed Natsu, "There's a shitty old man I'm looking for, and he's probably there."

"I'm already familiar with that part of the world," smiled Miu, "I've been in it since I was just a baby."

Renka looked at Kenichi, who easily replied that he would step in, and that he couldn't let a girl like her step into such a dangerous place by herself, nor let Natsu and Miu go without him.

Renka gave a slight blush while Miu slightly glared at Kenichi. Though it was a charming part of his personality to help others, he didn't understand how it could charm other ladies. Natsu took note to add that in his other personality.

* * *

They made it to the mafia headquarters, where Renka was about to knock the smoker out when Miu stopped her.

"We need to see what traps he might have," said Miu before turning to the smoker.

"He, I'll never tell," scoffed the smoker. He was soon singing a different tone when Miu grabbed his legs apart and began stomping on his groin.

"Go, go, go!" cheered on Renka.

Both Natsu and Kenichi couldn't help but cross their legs in fear.

Scene change

In the hallway, an elevator chime rung, signaling that it was opening. A second later, four bodies flew out of the elevator.

"So much for peaceful," sighed Kenichi.

"Hey, nobody died, so that's peaceful," argued Renka as she pounded her fist into her palm.

The four of them continued walking when they all sensed killing intent, though Natsu was a bit slower on that.

"Get down!" shouted Renka as she tackled Kenichi, who was already moving back.

Miu tackled Natsu forward, splitting them apart. A second later, the wall exploded outwards to reveal Ma Sogetsu slamming the local mafia boss through the wall. The mafia boss had just been unfortunate to be in between the wall and Sogetsu.

"Hmm, though I felt Kensei's aura, but I guess I mistook it for somebody else," grumbled Sogetsu, "Though something feels familiar about someone."

"Ma Sogetsu!" shouted Renka as she quickly stood up, "Prepare to die!"

She charged in with a kick, just for Sogetsu to grab her by her ankle and toss her into a wall, leaving a Renka size indent. He followed up with a palm strike towards Renka to hurt her and keep her on the wall when both Kenichi and Miu reacted. Both of them rushed forward before spinning to gain momentum and kicked Sogetsu's palm strike upwards. They were both able to shift Sogetsu's palm strike upwards, missing Renka as she fell down and caught herself.

"Hoo, not bad," muttered Sogetsu before sensing another attack.

He turned around and caught the attack with just two fingers, catching the fist between his index and middle finger.

"Hey shitty master," growled Natsu as he tried to pull his hand free.

"Hoo, the little brat is here," said Sogetsu with an amused tone.

"You're Sogetsu's disciple!?" spat out Renka as she managed to stand up.

"Somewhat," replied Natsu as he flinched in pain as Sogetsu tightened his two fingers, "The shitty master left while I wasn't even done with training."

"I left for a good reason," frowned Sogetsu as he took a sip from his jug, "You were a pain in my ass to teach."

"Bullshit!" shouted Natsu as he finally managed to break free from Sogetsu's tyrannical two fingers, "I know the true reason why you ran! You left...because you were getting your ass whupped by Kaede in Mah Jong so badly that you ran with your tail tucked between your legs!"

"Liar!" roared Sogetsu, "I did not lose to your little sister that badly!"

"Then what's this about Kaede pouting that she didn't get to continue her win streak to 100 because you left!"

Miu, Renka, and Kenichi were treated with an extremely rare sight of Natsu and Sogetsu arguing with each other with Choju Giga monkeys walking by with a twig.

"Umm, sorry can we get back to the part where I was going to try to kill Sogetsu, or at the very least, beat him up for shaming the Ma family?" asked Renka.

Both Sogetsu and Natsu had stopped arguing and glared at each other before turning away, though there was a tiny line of blush that could be seen on both faces.

"So, you found some interesting people," said Sogetsu with a glint in his eye, "I don't know you three, but I can tell the blonde girl and the boy are far stronger than people their age. And the other girl...isn't bad. I was right to ditch you Natsu, you're weaker than all of them."

"No thanks to you ditching," spat Natsu.

"Brat, I left because," started Sogetsu, but Natsu waved him off.

"I know, because of …," Natsu looked around before lowering his voice so other couldn't hear, "Because of Suparna of Yomi."

Sogetsu neither acknowledged or disputed this, but Natsu could see his hand twitch a bit.

"Well then, I guess you three brats will keep me entertained until my little brother gets here then," declared Sogetsu as he rolled his neck, "Tell me you names before I kill you all."

"Fuurinji Miu."

"Shirihama Kenichi."

"Ma Renka. Ma Sogetsu, I, as the daughter of the leader of the Phoenix alliance as well as the daughter of the head of the Ma family, will punish you for disgracing my family! Your penalty will be your death!"

"Well then, try if you can," grinned Sogetsu.

"Renka," chided Kenichi gently, "We do not kill. Your father would be disappointed to talk about killing."

Renka had the decency to blush a little and shyly looked at Kenichi before focusing back on Sogetsu.

"So, the daughter of my brother and clearly the boy is my brother's disciple," said Sogetsu as he narrowed his eyes, "Brother has pretty good eyes to spot you. And you definitely sound like him, with all the bullshit talk about Katsujinken. "

He paused at Miu, thinking about what to do. The Fuurinji name was very well known in the martial arts world. Her father was the One Shadow in the One Shadow Nine Fist, though it seemed like he had abandoned all blood relations. The grandfather, though, was not someone he wanted to tangle with, at least not yet.

* * *

Before anyone could move, a window shattered into pieces as Ma Kensei arrived.

"As I thought, you are here Ma Kensei!" roared Sogetsu.

"Brother...you are still living like this?"

"Finally...I can settle matters with you."

The two brothers stared off against each other before coming to a conclusion.

"As I thought, I can't get you back on the proper path, brother," sighed Kensei, "Back when we were able to laugh together."

"Ha," spat Sogetsu, "Stop talking nonsense. It's too late already."

"Then I will end your path as a martial artist, even if I have to do it with these hands," proclaimed Ma Kensei, giving him the clasped fist salute, wrapping his right hand over his left fist, signifying a duel to the death.

"Don't be conceited," snorted Sogetsu as he did the same, "You will die witnessing what it truly means to master martial arts!"

Both masters began to raise their spirits to the utmost, affecting all disciples for a bit.

"Don't do this!" shouted Kenichi, even though he knew what would happen. He hated to see brothers fight against each other, no matter what future knowledge he had.

"Kenichi," stated Kensei calmly, "Watch this match, and burn it in your memory. As my disciple, you should know this is one fight I will not walk away from, past or future."

"You too brat," stated Sogetsu, talking to Natsu, "You're about to witness history. There's no better lesson then watching us, the ones who have taken Chinese kung fu to its limits, and learning from it."

Silence reigned between them all as bugs buzzed around the ceiling lamps. A moth strayed down the middle of the brothers, only to be shredded into pieces as the fight begun.

Miu immediately ignited her spirit with Dou Ki, raising her instincts to its highest level so as to witness this fight, as did Renka. Kenichi activated Ryusui Seikuken to allow him to perceive what was going on.

The fight carried over into the next room, allowing the disciples to gather together and chase after the two masters. As they were doing so, Natsu and Renka had their eyes on Miu and Kenichi.

'That feeling,' thought Natsu, 'Is there another level in that strange technique? And that Ki...I can tell its much higher than anyone in Ragnarok, and possible approaching the masters themselves! Just how much were you holding back in our fight? And that damn exhibitionist, as much I hate to admit, is stronger than me. Possibly on the same level as the First Fist himself.'

'Those two...are stronger than me,' gritted Renka as she looked at Miu and Kenichi, 'I don't know how they're the same age as me! How did papa find such a person?! He would be a great addition to the Phoenix Alliance if it wasn't for the girl. Well, mama told me how she got papa despite girls falling for him and was even dating one before she managed to get him. I can do the same!'

She looked over to Natsu and hummed to herself, 'Him...He could be useful. Though a disciple of the traitor Ma Sogetsu, he himself admitted Sogetsu abandoned him. And whether I like to admit it, Sogetsu is one of the highest masters in Chinese martial arts, almost on par with papa. I could potentially lure him into the Phoenix Alliance! And that last name, Taninmoto...if he's really part of the Taninmoto corporation, then it'll be a huge bonus! Not to mention he owes me for that perverted act!'

Both Renka and Natsu shelved those thoughts for later as they returned their gaze to the fight, burning it in their memories.

As the fight went on, Kenichi had to admit that he had missed a lot compared to the first time he witnessed this fight. The insight provided with his technique allowed him to see how the masters fought, positioning themselves in the most optimal spot while trying to push their opponents to the worst spot. And the speed of the fists that they were sending...Kenichi saw nine different hand attacks from Sogetsu, ranging from palm strikes to fists, while Kensei parried them away easily. He remembered the first time, and though that Sogetsu had only delivered five.

Sogetsu launched an uppercut that sent Kensei towards the ceiling, though he flawlessly blocked it and transferred his power to let him approach the edge of the room. He did the splits, allowing him to stay on the ceiling.

"Your disciple...is much more than he seems," noted Sogetsu, looking at Kenichi, "Is he already in the realm of Ki no Shouka despite being a Disciple zone? Impressive."

"More than you know," replied Kensei mysteriously.

Suddenly, the building's lower level suddenly exploded, forcing the disciples to almost lose their balance. The local mafia boss had blown up the building to kill all of the Ma family in one go. He threw a dynamite to force the building to collapse faster, as well as tossed oil tanks to accelerate the fire.

One of the walls that Kensei had been using as a foothold suddenly broke, forcing him to fall down. Sogetsu saw this as an opening and struck with all his strength in an elbow attack.

"He's won!" shouted Natsu as he saw Kensei flying back, blood spewing from his mouth.

Sogetsu looked confident as Kensei landed on the ground, feet first, still glaring at his brother. Suddenly, he felt four impacts on his chest and coughed out blood, falling to the ground on his knees. Kensei had launched four attacks at him right before the elbow strike had hit home.

"Master!" shouted Natsu as Kensei stood back up.

"How...how did your skills improve so much?" growled Sogetsu as sweat began to fall on his forehead, struggling to get up.

"Because I have friends whom I train with diligently," replied Kensei, "While you have trained alone. That is the difference between us."

Sogetsu looked at Kensei before slumping down in defeat, chuckling that it was still the same as it was in the past. How he was alone and feared because of his stature while Kensei was admired and adored. How he had left China not because that he killed someone, but there was no place for him to live there.

As the fire started to wrap around them, Kenichi had to remind them all that it was getting too dangerous to stay here.

"Go, brother," stated Sogetsu, "For a martial artist, defeat is death!"

The brothers looked at each other's eyes one last time before Kensei turned around to leave. He knew that if he approached his brother to even help, Sogetsu would take his own life right away.

"Go on brat, go away," said Sogetsu, waving at Natsu, who had been standing still, gazing at Sogetsu.

Renka opened the elevator door to allow them all in. Natsu was the last one to enter, his eyes focused on his master in what he believed to be his last moments.

"Hehehe, the end of a murderer," laughed Sogetsu as he took another sip of his alcohol named Baijiu, "Should die like this."

Right before the elevator door almost close, Kenichi's eyes snapped open and forced the door open. He didn't care he was just repeating what he did last time. He knew in his heart, he had to do this, even if the results would be the same. And perhaps if he didn't do this, then Sogetsu really might die. He had no idea if his words in the old timeline had affected Sogetsu or not, but he wasn't willing to let brothers part like this.

"I can't permit this kind of farewell between brothers," stated Kenichi as he quickly rushed out.

"That idiot!" shouted Renka, "It's too dangerous!"

Both she and Miu held the door open, calling Kenichi to come back.

Kenichi didn't care and walked towards Sogetsu, offering his hand.

"Take my hand!" shouted Kenichi.

Sogetsu stared at Kenichi for a bit when another hand came out besides Kenichi.

"You can't die yet, shitty master," cursed Natsu as he had also ran out, "I still need you to teach me. Also, Kaede would never let me live it down if I let you escape without bringing you back to her. She does miss you, and wants her hundredth win streak against you."

As Sogetsu raised both hands, Kenichi thought that this time, Sogetsu would actually take their hands. Alas, Sogetsu quickly moved and hit both of them with a palm strike, launching them both towards the elevator. Miu caught Kenichi while Renka caught Natsu, allowing the elevator doors to close.

"Take care of my lousy disciple for me, brother," said Sogetsu as he leaned back.

Kensei nodded as the elevator doors closed.

"Well, that's one thing off my back," shrugged Sogetsu as he laid down on the floor, ready to let the fire consume his body. His disciple and his brother, along with the other brats, would make it out safely. They had his brother, and they were leaving in...an...elevator.

Choju Giga monkeys danced around for roughly two seconds as he processed this thought.

"Damn idiot!" shouted Sogetsu, breaking character as he sprung back up, "Kensei you idiot, you don't take an elevator in a building that's on fire! Did you forget the damn protocols?!"

He quickly glanced at the elevator, hoping it was a fireman elevator, only to see it wasn't.

"Great, this is going to annoy me a shitload," grumbled Sogetsu as he managed to get back up despite his injuries.

Being honest with himself, he had been debating whether or not to let the fire consume him when he pushed the brats back. He could easily escape by jumping out of the building and into the next one, continuing until he found a nice place to rest. Now, he had to stay to make sure his brother didn't let his disciple be killed, and he wasn't sure if he could do so. As another part of the room crumpled, causing a bookshelf to fall over, a strange box landed in front of him from the bookshelf, saying for fire emergencies.

Sogetsu opened it to see a bottle of aspirin and a flame-resistant cloak that was miraculously his size. He pondered why these were even here in the first place, but he took it anyways. He took one aspirin, and not caring about the warning of not taking it while consuming alcohol, and put on the cloak. As he quickly walked away, he didn't notice the back of the box, with a statement saying 'Provided by the Shinpaku Alliance', along with the Shinpaku logo.

* * *

As the group was going down the elevator, Natsu remembered something very important about the elevator.

"Is this a fire elevator at all?" pondered Natsu aloud.

The group blinked in silence before remembering the safety protocol of NOT using an elevator in a fire.

"Kenichi, did you use one back in the old timeline?" whispered Miu.

"Yea, and we got out safely...somehow," replied Kenichi, "Now I think about it, I really should've pushed to use the stairs."

"And will we be safe this time?" asked Miu.

"I...don't know," admitted Kenichi, "I kinda...lost consciousness the first time because the palm strike knocked me unconscious. I just assumed we got to the bottom floor safely with the elevator."

Just as he said that the elevator halted with them trapped inside.

"Alright, we're taking another way out," stated Kensei as he ripped the doors open, "We're low enough that we can just jump through."

"I can see the Ma family is just full of recklessness," sighed Natsu.

"Hey!" shouted Renka.

"Exhibit A," replied Natsu, "You charging at a Grand Master in delusion you could beat him."

The two argued as they jumped out of the building, landing safely onto the floor, along with Kenichi, Miu, and Kensei.

The local mafia was quickly rounded up and just like the old timeline, Ma Sogetsu's body was nowhere to be seen. Before Renka could turn around to catch her father, Miu, Natsu, Kenichi and Kensei all ran away, shaking her off.

"Dammit!" shouted Renka in frustration as she returned to the restaurant alone, where Hakubi quickly assigned Renka to sweeping the floors, "I'll get you somehow Papa! The next time I find you, I'll put a rope around you so I can drag you home!"

'And maybe take Kenichi and Natsu with me,' added Renka as an afterthought.

The front door suddenly opened to reveal...Niijima Haruo coming in.

"I'm sorry, but the restaurant is closing in 10 minutes," said Hakubi.

"I'm here to pick up my order," said Niijima, "I ordered a box of meat buns, stir-fried noodles, and chicken? Order number 452?"

"Oh my, I almost forgot about that. I'll get it for you right now," apologized Hakubi as he left to get it, leaving Niijima with Renka.

"So...you want to learn more about Kenichi, Natsu, and your father?" grinned Niijima.

"How do you know that?" asked Renka, her eyes narrowed.

"Why I'm Kenichi's best friend!" said Niijima with a disarming smile, "He told me he was heading to Chinatown here with his master and texted me that Natsu was here."

Niijima quietly leaned over and whispered, "Do you want to know where Ryozanpaku is? And do you want the chance to attend Koryu Highschool, where we all go? You could use this chance to learn more about them."

Niijima didn't attempt to use his antennas to latch onto Renka, as the last time he had done so had gotten him a gut punch. This time, he would do it slowly.

"Mmm I want to go to their school," pouted Renka, "But I can't. I have to work at the restaurant, and Koryo Highschool doesn't sound like it's anywhere near here. If there could be some low wage workers here, I might be able to go."

"Ah, but what if I could get you someone?" grinned Niijima, "I know quite a few people looking for one. And since you did just break up the local mafia, there are going to be some people looking for jobs."

Before he could say anything more, Hakubi had come back with the items.

"Just remember, we all go to Koryo Highschool if you're interested," reminded Niijima one more time before leaving.

"What was that all about?" asked Hakubi curiously.

"Oh nothing," smiled Renka as she shelved this information for later. She now had a general idea where her father was. All she needed to do was start from Koryu Highschool and figure out how to get in there.

* * *

Two days after the incident, Natsu Taninmoto returned home tired. He had finished a school project, delivered a report of where he had been lately to Ragnarok and how he would be gone for a bit still, and had reviewed the quarterly assessments of his company. All he wanted to do now was just to go home, eat a warm dinner prepared by his little sister and head to sleep.

"Welcome home, Nii-chan!" cheered Kaede as she greeted him.

"How is your cough?" asked Natsu, "Is it getting better?"

"Yea, much better!" smiled Kaede, "Does that mean I don't have to eat the icky medicine?"

"Sorry, but no," chuckled Natsu, "You'll finish it all up until the doctor says otherwise."

Kaede pouted before brightening up once more, "Ooh, ooh, you'll never guess who came today while you were at work still!"

"Who?" asked Natsu as he began to wash his hands.

"Uncle Ma!"

Natsu froze for a second before turning around to Kaede, "You mean..."

"Yea, uncle Ma Sogetsu, the big man who I dominate in Mah Jong. He came to visit! I told him you were still at work and asked him to stay! He said he couldn't stay long, though, and left. He brought us presents though!"

She held up a bracelet with Mah Jong tiles on it, though on the tiles it said: "To my favorite brat". Then she handed some scrolls to Natsu, who quickly opened it. From the first one he opened, was a note stating that yes, he was still alive, but he wanted to travel for a bit still. It advised him to work on basic training and to go see Kensei to make sure he was doing it correctly. On some other scrolls were some of the more advanced moves with drawings all over, and to ask Kensei if he didn't understand it, though Natsu could tell the last part was said in a sarcastic tone. Still, it was proof that his master was still alive.

"I'll find you again later, shitty master," whispered Natsu.

* * *

 **And done. Hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Now for random notes:**

 **Remember, Kenichi wants to be an author, so it wouldn't be weird for him to know about Romeo and Juliet in detail.**

 **Niijima is... everywhere muhahahah.**

 **Also, I noticed I focused a bit on Natsu and the other characters interaction on this chapter. No worries, next chapter will have Niijima mostly in the spotlight once more!**

 **If you couldn't tell, I might and I stress MIGHT... have Natsu x Renka. Not too sure, but I do love the interaction I wrote. No Kenichi x harem. He be dead by the Elder if he dated someone else while with Miu.**

 **Yes Kenichi will be learning a little more about weapons. Had a huge discussion about this with a writer. It won't completely dominate in his fighting style, but I might have some fights with him using weapons. Always thought that Kenichi should've learned some if he was Shigure's disciple. I mean, all the other martial arts master all have anti-weapon techniques, so Shigure's teaching is just basically the basics of how weapons work, meaning she really has little in helping Kenichi. As for Ma knowing how to use some weapon, Renka used a two sided meteor hammer to try to capture him, so it wouldn't be off that he wouldn't know a little. Maybe he just favors his fist. Afterall, I took kung fu before for a little, and as I progressed they had me learn some form of weapons.**

 **I chose those two weapons because they do have moves that capture the opponent, whereas it might be a little harder with a sword. I mean, sure holding it up someone's neck could stop them from moving, but one mistake and you cut them, whereas the other two don't really have that. In my opinion, Kenichi doesn't like weapons because of how easily most of them can either maim or be lethal. Also, it seems like the majority of weapons they show are mostly ones with blades. Plus, the Elder used giant clubs as weapons, and if needed, human beings for his human shuriken technique.**

 **I guess Katsujinken style, having a weapon that can't cut wouldn't suit the style? I mean you can still use a stick to kill someone, but I guess with the blade it's easier to chop something? I don't think I've actually seen anyone from the Yami Weapons division that uses a blunt weapon in general.**

 **Next chapter, prepare your mustaches for who's coming in! That... should be enough spoiler to know who's coming in.**


	7. Chapter 7

**New chapter yaa! I may have gotten distracted with Destiny 2 event thing, but I still managed to write this out! Heads up, for Ragnarok team, I will mostly be calling the Fists by their codenames throughout the story. I mean, if I call Freya by her real name, it might confuse people. It confused me when I tried to write her by her real name throughout the story, so I stuck with the codenames. Only Kisara, Natsu, and Ryuto will be the exceptions, depending on the situation. If Natsu is in Hermit gear, I'll call him Hermit.**

 **Also remember the timeline for this! There were no Iphones and stuff yet, so most of them will be using flipphones!**

* * *

In a deserted apartment, the Fists of Ragnarok had gathered together for an important meeting; dealing with the rising Shinpaku Alliance.

Sitting on the giant comfy chair was the leader of Ragnarok, the First Fist Asamiya Ryuuto, a.k.a. Odin. To his right was the Second Fist Shougo Kitsukawa, or more commonly known and preferably named Berserker, along with the Third Fist Kugatachi Kaname, a.k.a. Freya. These three were known as the Three of Cards, only taking direct orders from the man only known as Kensei.

To Odin's left was the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Fists: Kyoichi Takame a.k.a. Loki, Hibiki Kugenin a.k.a. Siegfried, and Chiaki Yuma a.k.a. Thor.

The Sixth Fist, Tanimoto Natsu a.k.a. Hermit, and the Eighth Fist, Nanjo Kisara, now also known as Valkyrie, were absent from the meeting, as the first one had some prior engagements with his corporation while the latter was dealing with other gangs trying to move in on their turf as well as being punished for letting her whole crew suffer defeat.

"So, the Shinpaku Alliance," Odin muttered, "A rather explosive team. Just barely created, and they already took out Kisara's company and also took in a few well-known names, such as Takeda the Puncher."

Berserker merely chewed on his gum, as he didn't care about weaklings gathering together.

"What should we do about them?" Freya asked, "Shall I deploy the Valkyries to take care of this personally?" She was, of course, referring to her unit of 8 girls that wielded weapons, and not Kisara.

"No need," Loki said, coming forward with a plan, "I was recently contacted by a past client who wants Takeda out of the picture. Funny thing is that he'll be the poor soul that's been my target twice now. This easily plays into my other plan to check out and destroy the Shinpaku alliance."

"Disgusting," Thor commented before turning back to practice his palm strikes.

Siegfried was merely humming and writing out music, as usual, taking notes of all this meeting inside his head.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you Loki," Odin commanded, "However...bring me more information about Shirahama Kenichi. I have a vague feeling I've seen him."

"Whatever you say boss," Loki shrugged, "But I gotta do my other job first. Client's paying me double to make sure Takeda won't be coming back into boxing. I'll probably do it this Friday."

Loki left as the others stayed to discuss other expansion plans. As the meeting ended, Odin called out to Siegfried.

"I've noticed your music tone seems to have changed," Odin noted as he gave a quick glance on the music score, "It used to be more dark and dramatic. Now it feels like it has a lighter tone."

"Thank you for noticing!" Siegfried sang, "I've been experimenting on some different music lately due to my classes! My professor told me to expand my repertoire, so I'm attempting on some new tones!"

"I see," Odin said, "Well, continue on."

Siegfried left while spinning, getting far away from them before having his personal butler pick him up to take him back to the mansion. It was only when he arrived into his room did he allow a cold sweat to break out.

"Too close," Siegfried sighed, "To think Odin noticed my recent changes. My demon lord was right when he predicted Odin would get suspicious. It looks like my time with Ragnarok is nearing to an end. But first, I must inform him of Loki's plans!"

* * *

Niijima was working on upgrading the security of the Shinpaku website when he got Siegfried's message.

"This Friday, eh?" Niijima pondered, wondering if he should involve Kenichi in this.

"Nah, I got this," Niijima grinned, "He and Miu have a date on Friday. I shouldn't disrupt them, like a good friend. Though if it happens to be right next to their location, then it's not my fault."

Niijima cackled as he began to plan out what to do as Kenichi's worst best friend. As he began planning, he received a text from Takeda telling him that Koetsuji had declared him fully recovered and able to dive into boxing full time. Takeda wanted Niijima to fulfill his promise for joining Shinpaku and get him a master in boxing. All the boxing gyms that he went to didn't have the right feel and he was running out of gyms to go through in his area.

"Hmm, I can work with this," Niijima smirked as he flipped his phone open to dial a certain number.

Two rings later, a gruff voice could be heard and a shadowy figure answered it.

"What do you want brat?" growled the voice.

"Now, now, is that any way to speak to your landlord?" Niijima cackled.

"Land lord my ass," shouted the voice, "I was living here just fine! The JR company didn't bother with me until you somehow bought the land!"

"Hey, they would've done something sooner or later," Niijima replied, "Haven't you been chased by several thugs already?"

"They were just cannon fodder," scoffed the voice, "Nothing would've happened until you suddenly bought the land and pulled some weird legal bullshit on me."

"Ah, but I'm letting you live there without having to pay for anything," Niijima giggled, "I'm not blackmailing you. All I did was show you what I could do, but instead, I asked for one favor in the future and you get the deeds to the land."

"At the expense for-" shouted the voice before stopping and sighing, "Just...what do you want?"

"I need you at Rikkon Cafe at Friday after three," Niijima ordered, "There will be quite a bit of cannon fodder for you to beat up and brush that rust off. And a potential disciple for you."

"Hmph, I don't take disciples," growled the voice.

"I believe you'll be interested in this one," Niijima said, "You can bet your mustache on that."

"Hoho! To think you would wager my manly stache!" laughed the voice as the camera panned out to reveal the man's mustache, which had been drooping, to suddenly stand up straight, "So is this a wager then? That one look at that anonymous person and I will take him or her in?"

"Of course not," Niijima snapped, "However, I will bet that when that person sees you in action, he or she will be begging to be your disciple. And through his/her tenacity, you'll cave in."

"You should know, boy, that I can be very stubborn," replied the voice.

"Well, so can the other person," Niijima responded dryly.

"Then shall we wager on this?" asked the voice, "I will bet my stache!"

"Knowing you, you'd say you would shave it off and just cut a tiny bristle off," Niijima said, rolling his eyes as he remembered how the man backed out on a bet, "No wagers. But do be there, or I will be forced to take...more direct approaches."

"Tch fine! I'll be there," roared the voice, hanging up on Niijima.

"Well, well, I believe I will be giving Takeda his old master soon enough," Niijima smirked, "And much earlier in the timeline, too. That should give him more than enough time to be able to handle the more powerful opponents in the Desperate Fight of Disciples."

At the other end of the line, James Shiba scoffed as he laid down on his futon, muttering about damn brats and their outrageous ways.

* * *

Days passed and on Thursday, as Niijima was putting his shoes in his locker, he noticed a letter in his locker. The letter was from Loki, telling Niijima to come to Rikkon Cafe to talk peacefully.

"Hoo, Loki wants to kill two birds with one stone," Niijima smirked, "Well, then, won't he be surprised? Of course, knowing Loki, he's sending a decoy. Or maybe not, as he's taking out Takeda at the same breath."

"Yo," Kenichi waved as he arrived with Miu, "What's with the letter?'

"Oh nothing," Niijima said, quickly putting it in his bag.

Kenichi narrowed his eyes before quickly running through the dates in his mind.

"Is it Loki?" Kenichi whispered, remembering it was roughly about time for that.

"Shh, not here," Niijima replied, "We'll talk more after school at one of my secret bases."

Kenichi narrowed his eyes but nodded.

They soon found themselves in one of the secret hideouts Niijima had purchased near Koryo High School. This one was less equipped than the one they used in the past but was good enough to have a small discussion.

"So, it is Loki," Kenichi stated, "He wants to have the 'peaceful' talk?"

"Yea, but there's something else," Niijima replied, "Apparently, he wants to meet up at Rikkon's cafe, not Matsue Lark like last time."

"What changed?" Kenichi asked, "What did you do?"

"I...may have told Takeda to contact his old friend Akeshita," Niijima hesitated, "He didn't last time."

"Why would you do that?" Miu asked curiously.

"Because the circumstances of his injury are too suspicious," Niijima explained, "Bear with me. Takeda gets a call from his 'best friend' Akeshita that he was in trouble and surrounded by delinquents. Akeshita used a payphone to call for help before being dragged away. Problem one with that, why would his ambushers allow Akeshita to use a payphone at all? If it was a cellphone maybe, but the fact they let him in to make the call is suspicious."

Seeing Kenichi and Miu nod and allowing him to continue, Niijima took a breath, "Takeda ran out to help, which when he told me, took him roughly three minutes to get there. And yet Akeshita didn't really seem all that injured according to Takeda's description. Problem two, how is Akeshita not that injured when we know he was dragged out of the phone booth? We know there were several of them all ganging up on Akeshita, and I doubt he's strong enough to take care of all of them. When Takeda arrived, the two of them fight against what I'm told is at least fifteen and were clearly defeated. So that would mean Akeshita should've gone down before Takeda even arrived."

Miu and Kenichi weren't liking where this was going but continued to listen on.

"Finally, when the dust clears, only Takeda was seriously injured. Akeshita walked away with mere bruises. Also as a man whom Takeda called almost like a brother, Akeshita didn't bother trying to help Takeda. He took him to see one general doctor and left him. The third problem, why not see a specialist? Why not seek other opinions? Takeda may have been fooled to believe that the doctor was a specialist and gave up there and then. Knowing you Kenichi, you would've gone and sought out other doctors."

"And after that, Akeshita just completely ignored Takeda, rising in fame in the boxing ring," Niijima finished.

"But why?" Kenichi hissed, uncomfortable with the fact that Takeda's injury was by betrayal.

"Who knows?" Niijima shrugged, "Perhaps jealousy? Fear of being eclipsed by his friend? Takeda was the first one to pass the boxing test and was seen as a rising rookie. Akeshita didn't get as much fame as Takeda did. And I have a feeling that doctor was paid off or blackmailed."

Kenichi's fist tightened in anger as he closed his eyes.

"What happened to keeping the timeline the same?" Miu asked, "You yourself warned us not to make any drastic changes in case we couldn't predict it."

"A calculated risk," Niijima said, "I went over the scenario myself and have decided that it would only benefit us in the long run and yet still within my predictions. Plus, I plan to have Takeda meet James Shiba earlier than he did in the old timeline."

"How!?" Miu and Kenichi shouted.

"Oh you poor fools," Niijima cackled, "With all this future knowledge, I have become richer than I expected to be! The Shinpaku Alliance will rise greater than before!"

Kenichi and Miu both slapped him to bring him down to earth. However, they both felt a small shiver as they knew with Niijima's knowledge of the future and his personality, he could predict and direct whatever he wanted more than they could. It would be their responsibility to make sure Niijima didn't become a total control freak.

"Speaking of which, Takeda will be coming with me to Rikkon Cafe," Niijima said, quickly changing subjects, "Akeshita invited him to eat there to 'celebrate' his full recovery."

"We'll be there," Miu said with a determined fire in her eyes.

"Na, I got this," Niijima waved off, "I have a plan, I always have plans. Plus, you two are supposed to be going on a date tomorrow, aren't you? Hoping to get a bit more intimate maybe?"

As Kenichi and Miu blushed, Niijima cackled. It was to be expected. Including the years from this timeline and the old one, Kenichi and Miu had been dating for roughly eleven years now. Add the years from their old timeline, they were all roughly 28 years old mentally. Though Niijima wasn't affected due to the fact that his ambitions pushed all those useless thoughts away.

"Here, you can use this secret base," Niijima said, pointing to a specific point on the map that was near Rikkon Cafe, "If you're so worried about me, you won't be far away."

"Jerk, I could care less," Kenichi huffed, though already mentally memorizing the place. The two of them did want to just spend time cuddling and perhaps watching a movie without distraction. The Elder was off in the North this time, and the other masters had other business to do, allowing them to have some time to themselves.

* * *

Friday afternoon rolled on by, and both Niijima and Takeda were at the Rikkon cafe waiting.

"Why are you here again?" Takeda asked.

"Because I have a meeting here," Niijima replied, "Since I figured you were coming anyway, I'd use you as a bodyguard."

Takeda began muttering a few choice curse words before Loki showed up and sat down right in front of them.

"Loki!" Takeda shouted, surprised the Fourth Fist of Ragnarok was here.

"Ah Takeda the Puncher," Loki smiled, "I have a meeting with your leader, Haruo Niijima of the Shinpaku Alliance."

"Yes, yes, let's get this meeting going," Niijima said while leaning back on his seat, "What do you want?"

"Hmph, so confident," Loki said, "I can't believe you didn't even bother to think that I was planning to ambush you. Well, this meeting has two purposes. One is to crush the Shinpaku Alliance here and now, and the other...well, my client has paid me good money to make sure both of Takeda's arms are crippled beyond repair this time around."

Takeda immediately jumped out of his seat, getting into a fighting position. With a snap of Loki's finger, delinquents surrounded them all.

"I hope you recognize them," Loki drawled to Takeda, "It took me quite some time to find them."

Takeda's eyes narrowed before widening in shock as he took in the view. Most of them had been the ones that he had fought with Akeshita before that dreadful incident.

"So, trying to awaken my trauma for leaving Ragnarok?" Takeda growled as he got ready, "I'm not scared. I've improved over the years, and can easily take them."

"I wonder if you can if I let you know just why you suffered that injury," Loki laughed, causing Takeda to freeze.

"Have you ever wondered why you had such a crippling injury while your friend was left with mere scratches? How you went to see a 'specialist' just for him to declare it crippled and incapable of being cured while some other doctor managed to do it? How he left you in the dust?" Loki asked as Takeda began to shake in anger and fright.

"Easy! He-" Loki started, only for Niijima to interrupt him.

"Akeshita set Takeda up and asked for your help, didn't he?" Niijima yawned.

"Hoo, your information network isn't too shabby if you knew this," Loki complemented in surprise.

"You knew?" Takeda hissed.

"Only after Kenichi told me about your story," Niijima replied as he stood up, "Unfortunately, he tends to believe in the best of everyone. That's why I'm here because I don't. I, as his worst best friend, do the dirty work and find out what's hidden behind everything. I was suspicious and investigated. That specialist you saw Takeda, that was Akeshita's second cousin whom he bribed. If you had seen any other doctor, they would've told you it was fixable, though I bet they would involve surgery, unlike Koetsuji Akisame. As for the reason why it's probably because he was afraid Takeda's talent would eclipse his."

"So you know the truth. So what? That doesn't change your situation," Loki cackled as the delinquents grinned, each of them wielding a metal pole or some sort of weapon, "Your so call friend Akeshita has paid us to make sure you'll never return to the ring again. No Kenichi to save you today!"

Takeda began to get a cold sweat as he looked around, ready to fight for his life when he heard a small chuckle from Niijima. It stopped everyone cold as Niijima's laugh became louder and more pronounced.

A vein started to pulse on Loki's forehead. "What are you laughing at!?" Loki shouted.

"Oh you dumb fool," cackled Niijima, "You think I'd just walk into the obvious and poor attempt of an ambush? Let me show you what a real ambush is!"

"You're bluffing!" shouted Loki, "I have men on the lookout for any of your members! There have been no reports of any Shinpaku members even remotely close to here!"

"Well then, let's see who's hand is bigger, mine or yours," said Niijima as he snapped his finger.

"So these are the runts I have to take care of?" questioned a towering voice from behind one of the grunts.

They all turned around and had to look up to see a tall muscular man with blonde hair, an eyepatch over his right eye, ripped sleeveless vest, and the manliest mustache in existence. At least, according to James Shiba himself.

"Ha, who's this old geezer!?" laughed a grunt, "You hired this crippled idiot to protect you! Old man, you look like you're already heading towards the grave! Let me help you get there faster!"

The grunt brought his arm back to swing his metal pole when Shiba got into a fighting pose that Takeda was all too familiar with. It was a typical boxing pose! Before the grunt even swung, a right jab sent the grunt flipping in the air. It was so fast with no visible motion on Shiba's elbow or shoulder, making it a motionless jab that was impossible to predict. Not that being able to see it would matter, as while the punch was too fast for the grunt or any of them to see really, there was also a lot of power behind it.

Before any of the other delinquents could move, Shiba was already upon them. Takeda gazed in awe at the man's fighting style, using only his fists to fight. Just pure boxing, just like Takeda wanted to learn.

"What is this!?" screeched Loki as Shiba easily dispatched the last of his grunts.

"Now then, for the coup de grace," huffed Shiba as he prepared his fist.

"Wait!" shouted Takeda, getting in between the two, "This one's mine."

As Takeda got into his boxing stance, Shiba merely raised an eyebrow before turning around and started looting the unconscious body for money.

"You may have gotten lucky, but do you really think you can defeat me, Loki of Ragnarok, the Fourth Fist!?" shouted Loki.

"Let's find out," grinned Takeda as he charged forward.

"Wait!" shouted Loki as he put his hand inside his jacket, surprising Takeda as he stopped midpunch.

"So I can take out this baton!" cackled Loki as he drew one out to hit Takeda with a horizontal slash.

Takeda ducked right under it and smirked as he prepped up for one of his signature moves. Using the power from his knees, he fired his **Ultra Bolo Punch** , a huge uppercut to Loki's chin, sending him flying up into the air before collapsing on the ground.

"So he's the one?" whispered Shiba to Niijima, who nodded, "Eh, not bad. But I still don't see him as a possible disciple."

"Now let's see that face of yours," said Takeda as he pulled off the goggles that Loki had, "Wait a minute, you aren't Loki!"

"So he sent a fake," sighed Niijima, "How typical."

"Haha, Loki-sama would actually waste time on you?" shouted the fake Loki, "I am just one of-"

"Yea, yea, one of his many shadows," interrupted Niijima, "And I'm betting his little female assistant Toko Amada, a.k.a. number 20, is recording all this right over there."

As Niijima pointed to a corner, a girl meeped and quickly ran away.

"How did you-" started the fake Loki, but was knocked unconscious as Niijima began to tap dance on his head.

"So we done?" asked Shiba.

"The deed's under your name now," nodded Niijima.

Shiba grunted and turned around to leave when Takeda quickly rushed out in front of him and kowtowed in front of him, begging for him to take him as a disciple.

"Mmm let me think about it," said Shiba, "No. I don't take disciples."

"Please?" begged Takeda as he latched onto Shiba's left leg.

"Let go!"

"Not until you say yes!"

Shiba finally shook Takeda off his legs and ran away. Takeda tried to get up to follow but lost sight of him.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you where he lives," smirked Niijima, "I've fulfilled my end the bargain, don't you say? Now it's all up to you to convince him to take you in as a disciple."

"Of course!" shouted Takeda, "I'll sit in front of his house seiza style until he accepts me as his disciple all day!"

Just as Takeda was about to leave, he turned around to Niijima, "Did you have back up plans?"

"Course I did," scowled Niijima, "Take a look at that building across from us. And the corner right over there."

Takeda looked across the building to see Kenichi and Miu waving, ready to intervene when necessary. And around the corner came Ukita, looking a bit confused but dragging someone with him. Takeda's eyes narrowed as he saw it was Akeshita.

"You," hissed Takeda.

"Don't believe what they say, I had nothing to do with it!" exclaimed Akeshita, "They'll all lying! Why would I betray my best friend, a brother I never had!?"

"Then tell me straight up," glared Takeda, "In front of my face. Tell me that you didn't pay those delinquents to cripple me, and then have a doctor lie to me about my injury. Tell me that today, when you invited me for tea, that it wasn't another plan to make sure I would never return to the boxing ring."

As Ukita let Akeshita go, he stood up and stared at Takeda face to face and swore it. A few seconds passed before Takeda sighed, "Alright."

"So you believe me!" grinned Akeshita.

"Hell no," said Takeda before socking Akeshita right in the nose with a left straight, "It's been awhile, but you could never lie to me. You have a tendency to twitch your left eye when you lie, and your right pinky curls up. You were shit on poker against me, and you still haven't changed those habits."

Akeshita stood up in anger and was about to fight back when Takeda shook his head and waved his finger.

"Tsk, tsk, you're a pro now. Getting into a fight right now would ban you from your career. Especially since you're so close to a title match."

Akeshita froze before clenching his fist in anger and stomping away.

"Geez what a horrible guy," commented Ukita, "Guess it's hard to tell who's a good guy or not."

"He was," sighed Takeda, "But I guess as time went by, he grew to fear me. We used to spar, and I would pretty much win, 8 to 2. Guess he got jealous. I could've gone without the 'crippling' arm and all that, but looking at things now, if I had a choice, I'd still stick with the same choices. It's led me to some real friends."

He waved at Kenichi and Miu, who waved back.

"Guess we'll let Kenichi and Honey continue their date," said Takeda, "Glad they took their date time to watch over this. Though why are you here Ukita?"

"Err well I got this love note telling me to come to Rikkon Cafe. I looked around to see someone with long black hair running away as I read the note. I was walking here when I heard the commotion, and caught the Akeshita dude as he ran into me," said Ukita as he blushed.

"Err Ukita, this is Rikkon Cafe," said Takeda.

"What!?"

The two of them looked over to Niijima, who was now wearing a very familiar long black wig as a Choju Giga bunny adopted the same disguise.

"Oh my, were you looking for me?" cackled Niijima.

Ukita figured out what had happened and began to chase after Niijima, who ran away cackling.

"Guess I'll go comfort Ukita after," chuckled Takeda as he began to chase after them, "Though I wonder if he still remembers that Shiratori is a girl."

"Well that worked out," said Miu as she drank her sweet tea.

"I'm surprised Niijima got James Shiba out here," shivered Kenichi, "I keep forgetting how cunning he is, and just how much deadlier he is with all this future knowledge now."

"Let's worry about that later," smiled Miu as she began pulling Kenichi towards a secret base, "I want to watch a movie and cuddle with you."

"Aye aye!" cheered Kenichi, becoming very obedient.

Somewhere in the North the Elder shivered as if forgetting something very important.

* * *

"Loki-sama, I've recorded everything from the meeting," said Number 20, "Sound has been dubbed by the bug."

"Oh, thanks," said the real Loki, tossing away the wire puzzle he had just solved, "And I hate to ask, but could you buy me a wire puzzle that is more difficult than the one I just solved?"

"Aye aye!" said Number 20 as she gave him the CD.

Loki noticed her hands were shaking and took a glance to see her sweating. It couldn't be from the heat, as his room had the AC on, and the temperature wasn't that high, to begin with outside. No, this was a cold sweat, one made from fear.

"Whats wrong?" asked Loki, "And don't lie, I can tell that your shaking."

"Just...watch the video," sighed Number 20.

Loki raised an eyebrow and did as told. As he finished, he leaned back in his chair to contemplate his plans.

"So they have access to someone who seems insanely strong," mused Loki, "And from the looks of it, he's a boxer, which is perfect for Takeda the puncher. Is Shinpaku Alliance a group where each captain has a master? This could be troublesome. Out of the Fists of Ragnarok, only Odin gets special training from Kensei-sama. None of us have actually met him, despite the promises. Maybe it's time I implemented my alternate plan for Ragnarok."

He never knew that all his plans, his actions, were all laid down by Niijima already, his path guided by Niijima's cunning plans.

* * *

Days passed as Ragnarok and other small gangs attacked Kenichi in order to make a name for themselves, only to be beaten back easily. According to their notes on the old timeline, this would've been when Niijima was kidnapped by Loki and Siegfried. However, seeing that Siegfried was loyal to Niijima while the other was trying to plan out an alternate plan to deal with the Shinpaku Alliance with the showing of James Shiba, they had some free time. So in the meantime, Kenichi and Miu would train while Niijima...did whatever he did to further his goals.

Shinnosuke Tsuji had challenged Kenichi once more, with his two loyal friends as witnesses, only to be destroyed again. It was then he declared that his gang would be disbanding and leaving Ragnarok, telling Kenichi to prepare himself as he was going to immerse himself into training to catch up. His loyal friends would join him into the mountains to train. It was 'convenient' that they had won a lottery for a camp set and a bus voucher to a specific mountain, courtesy of Niijima.

"So why are you here?" asked Kenichi one day as he was running for his life on a human sized hamster wheel with various weights strapped on his body.

"Don't ask," growled Natsu as he was also in another one running for his life with weights concentrated on strengthening his joints.

"Hush kids, less chating more running," said Akisame as his whip snapped between the two.

"This should make Miu happy, as it'll cut down the electric bill," remarked Kensei while reading his perverted magazine.

"Mmm this is relaxing," said the Elder as he sat on a new massage chair that Akisame had made, one powered by one of three wheels. The third wheel was occupied by Miu, who was also taking this chance to train a bit more.

"Hehehe, that looks fun!" giggled Honoka and Kaede as they were playing with Apachai and Shigure once more.

The reason why the Tanimoto siblings were actually here? It was because Kaede was back for a check up to make sure there was nothing wrong, and Natsu needed some advice on part of the new technique Sogetsu had given him. He felt like he was doing the steps correctly, but wasn't generating enough force. Kensei took one look at the technique before strapping the weights on him and tossing him on the hamster wheel, telling him to run to build up the necessary muscles for it.

"I win!" cheered Kaede as she drew the winning tile in the Mah Jong game they were playing.

"Apapa, I lose again!" cried Apachai.

"Man I was close," pouted Honoka, "Let's play Othello this time!"

"Apapa, but I always lose," pouted Apachai.

"Man, you're always losing to these brats," chuckled Sakaki as he walked over, "Here, let me show you how to win in Othello."

"Mmm Uncle Short Ma!" called out Kaede, giving Kensei that nickname as he was the shorter one. Kensei didn't mind the name and answered to it.

"Play Mah Jong with me!" asked Kaede, "I beat your older brother all the time!"

"Well, I can't refuse such a request," smiled Kensei, "But be warned, I'm much better than my brother!"

"A hundred yen that both masters lose?" Kenichi whispered to Natsu and Miu.

"Suckers bet," replied both.

 _A few minutes later_

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" laughed Sakaki and Kensei for a bit before kneeling down in anguish, "How did we get slaughtered so badly!?"

"You both are worse than Apachai," declared both girls, causing them to spiral down in further anguish.

"Akisame avenge us!" begged Sakaki.

"I...err...am busy training," said Akisame while giving Kenichi a look asking if he would lose against them. Kenichi thought about it and nodded in reply.

Taking that as a warning that he would horribly lose against these prodigies, Akisame left it at that.

"Boo, boo!" shouted Sakaki and Kensei, but Akisame ignored them.

Natsu and Kaede both left before it was getting dark, along with Kenichi and Honoka, as he was walking her home. They said their goodbyes and split off towards home.

While Kenichi was talking with Honoka, a teenager walked by them and did a double take before snapping a photo of the two.

"Hehehe, this is one weakness Loki-sama can use!" grinned the teenager before dashing off.

* * *

Summer Vacation ended, and Kenichi was in the actual meeting room of the Shinpaku Alliance eating with Takeda, Ukita, and Niijima while Miu was with her gymnastics club after school.

"Huh, got mail from the Shinpaku Alliance website," blinked Niijima as he drank from a conical flask from the chemistry department. The others were had been notified about the website and the pictures, causing Takeda and Ukita to be upset. Niijima managed to convince them via Niijima brainwashing that it was a good idea, followed by pounds of logic. Kenichi had long given up controlling that aspect of Niijima.

"Is that even safe or sanitary?" asked Ukita, staring at Niijima, or more accurately, the drink that he was drinking from, as it was letting out gas.

"I gave up trying to understand that," sighed Takeda as he started to flex his arms a bit. Takeda was eager to go find James Shiba and beg to be his disciple. He could tell that James was at least near the level of Kenichi's masters.

"Let's see what's up," shrugged Niijima as he opened it, "Let's see, blah blah nice to meet you, blah blah so moved, blah blah Officer from Ragnarok, they call me Loki."

"Aww so she's called Loki-chan," blushed Ukita, thinking it was a girl, as did Takeda.

A Choju Giga bird flew over the two before they realized just who it was and almost screamed.

"He's entered the chat room," notified Niijima, not too shocked though curious why Loki would be contacting them.

"Is Shirahama Kenichi there?"-Loki.

Niijima took a glance at Kenichi, who nodded in reply.

"He's here,"-Niijima.

"Let's settle this business of Shinpaku Alliance now."-Loki.

"I'm waiting at the abandoned church on the 3rd district, near the school."-Loki

"Come alone,"-Loki

"It's obviously a trap," sneered Niijima, though he was uncomfortable with the deja vu he was sensing, as did Kenichi.

"Oh look, he sent an attachment," noted Takeda.

Slightly shaking, Niijima opened it for all of them to see a photo of Honoka and Kaede being tied up, with Honoka trying to bite Loki's arm off.

"Do you care what will happen to your little sister and her friend?"-Loki.

"That bastard," growled Takeda before feeling a chill come over the room. Ukita found himself having a hard time breathing as he looked at Kenichi.

"Oy, Kenichi, reign in that Ki," snapped Niijima, surprising both Takeda and Ukita. The two teenagers didn't know that Niijima had already dealt with Ki levels at Advanced Grand Master level.

Kenichi breathed in and out slowly, lowering the tension in the room before dashing out of the door.

"After him!" said Takeda, quickly running out with Ukita.

Niijima quickly grabbed his phone and dialed to his loyal servant.

"Hello my demon lord," said Siegfried after half a beep.

"Siegfried, did you know about Loki's plan to kidnap someone!" snapped Niijima.

"I was unaware of such crude tactics," replied Siegfried, "All Loki has told us is that he has a plan to crush Shinpaku and make sure the 'one-eyed bastard' doesn't show up. He has told me, Thor, and Valkyrie that he carries orders from Kensei-sama himself."

"Get to the abandoned church on the 3rd district near Koryu High," commanded Niijima, "Loki just kidnapped my assault commander's little sister. I think it's time for you to show your true colors."

"As you will it," replied Siegfried, ending the phone call while spinning away and singing.

Natsu was in his nice persona speaking with classmates in the classroom when Kenichi barged in, apologized to the others, and dragged Natsu away.

"Did you know!?" hissed Kenichi.

Natsu was about to snap back when he noticed Kenichi's behavior was rather erratic.

"Know what?" asked Natsu.

"Did you know Loki's plan to kidnap my sister!" roared Kenichi.

"What?" blinked Nastu.

"And you even involved your little sister in it too!"

"WHAT!?" roared Natsu in anger and in Hermit mode, "I've made sure Ragnarok stayed the hell away from my sister! She doesn't know that aspect of my life, and Ragnarok doesn't know about my little sister either! Loki at most suspects I have a sibling, but doesn't know how old or gender."

"So you don't know then," said Kenichi.

"Like I said, know what!?" growled Hermit.

"That Loki just kidnapped Honoka and Kaede," piped Niijima, suddenly appearing before them.

Hermit twitched before slapping Kenichi's hands off him and ran out, Kenichi swiftly following him.

"Geez they're fast," gasped Takeda, "Not something I expected from the pretty boy though."

"Oh, you don't know do you?" said Niijima nonchalantly, "That was Hermit."

"WHAT!?"

Miu had finished with her gymnastics club as was heading to meet up with Kenichi when she saw him and Hermit running out the gates of the school.

"Weird, why did Kenichi and Natsu leave so fast?" pondered Miu.

"Miu, emergency!" shouted Niijima as he got out of the school building, followed by Ukita and Takeda, "Somehow, Honoka and Kaede got kidnapped by Loki. Location at the abandoned church on the 3rd district near Koryu High"

Miu nodded and ran towards the destination. The others took off too, trying their best to catch up to Miu, but she pulled away, along with Niijima somehow.

"I need to do more roadwork," Takeda panted as he saw the two pull ahead, "How is Honey so fast? And how is Niijima just as fast with that damn laugh of his! He's not one to fight!"

Indeed, as they had been running, the only reason they didn't get lost was that Niijima had been laughing the whole time while running, and was following that as a guide.

"I dunno, some sort of special breathing technique," said Ukita as he took in huge gulps of air, "That damn alien never made sense to me."

* * *

"Just to let you know, I'm blaming you for this," hissed Hermit as he changed into his Hermit gear while running. He had most of his gear in his backpack already, and the black shirt was under the sweater he had been wearing.

"How is this my fault?" growled Kenichi.

"My sister got involved with your sister, who is involved with you, which you decided to fight Ragnarok."

"You're part of Ragnarok! If anything, it's your fault that your damn group kidnapped her!"

The two squabbled until they reached the church, where they decided to postpone their argument and agree on one thing. Loki was going down hard.

Loki was whistling a tune while his lovely assistant Number 20 and one of Loki shadow members, the slightly tubby version of him, were holding Honoka and Kaede. Though they weren't completely tied up, their mouths were gagged. In addition, both of them were holding a knife to their necks as well as holding a rope that bound their hands.

"And the man of the show arrives!" cackled Loki as he saw Kenichi break through the gates, though frowned when he saw Hermit.

"Hermit! What are you doing here!" shouted Loki, "Did you decide to interfere with my plans? Kensei-sama will know about this!"

"You have my little sister hostage," shouted Hermit, "Of course I'm going to come and kick your ass!"

Loki blinked as he looked over to see Kaede glaring at him.

"Well...this just got awkward," blinked Loki, "Wait, you knew that our enemy Shirahama Kenichi had a sister, and you didn't tell us!?"

"Why would I?" stated Hermit coldly, "I leave Ragnarok out my personal life for reasons."

"Well whatever," shrugged Loki, "I didn't get to tell you, but Kensei-sama himself has given me the reigns to take care of the Shinpaku Alliance. So either get out of here or help beat the shit outta him. Don't worry, your little sister will be safe as long as you follow my orders, or rather Kensei-sama's orders."

With a snap of Loki's finger, the rest of his team, Loki's shadow, appeared out, all wielding their shock batons.

Kenichi began to get ready before Loki shook his hand, "Na ah ah, you stand still and let my precious shadows beat you up. With this, you'll learn never to cross Ragnarok again. My shadows and I are quite peeved about failing to kidnap your little sister three times. Though I admit Hermit's little sister was just a bonus and just happened to be there on our fourth attempt."

"Fourth attempt?" asked Kenichi as he steeled his body with the Sanchin stance while also raising his organs into his rib cage with the special karate breathing technique **Naizuage**.

"I'd...rather not talk about those attempts," coughed Loki, "Anyways beat him up!" _**(See Omake for attempts!)**_

Honoka and Kaede tried to scream for them to stop but were unable to voice their pleas. Kenichi took the shocks and hits without yelling at all, thinking that it was quite sad that he was used to the hits and shocks thanks to Akisame's training machines.

Kaede sent a pleading look to her brother to help Kenichi, to which he merely clenched his fist in helplessness.

"Kenichi!" shouted Miu as they managed to arrive, though Ukita had to carry Niijima due to the holy powers of the church weakening him.

"Don't move," commanded Loki, causing them all to pause, "Otherwise the girls get it."

The fat Loki and Number 20 grinned menacingly as they pointed their daggers at the struggling girls.

When Number 20 asked why Hermit was so loyal to Kensei's words, Loki went into a narrative of how Kensei was the one was saved Hermit when he was younger, and how in his inherited company, the adults were taking advantage of the void of power his father had and stealing everything they could. In the end, Hermit had hired someone to help make sure the outflow of money would stop, only to find himself betrayed by whom he thought he could trust, thus making him jaded with almost everyone. It was only thanks to Kensei, who was traveling by, that Kaede wasn't left an only child.

"Hoo, he's pretty tough if he's still standing," noted Loki as he looked at Kenichi, who hadn't made any noise while the batons were whacking him and shocking him, "Stab that baton in his eye! That'll make him scream!"

Before the shadows could follow that order, Niijima sprang into action, playing a small flute he had hidden.

"What was that for?" giggled Number 20 in confusion as two shadows from the very top of the building leaped down.

Suddenly, the ground shook behind Number 20 and fat Loki. Before they could react, fat Loki was slammed with a palm strike to the face, sending him flying to the side while Number 20 swung her knife around to whoever was behind her, only for the opponent to spin along her attack and counterattack by whipping his hand right into her ribs.

"DOSUKO!"

"Fortissimo!"

Thor and Siegfried had arrived, freeing the girls from their captors.

"Wh-" started Loki, but he didn't get the chance to finish.

Kaede and Honoka were both looking for vengeance, and since they had been freed and the main villain was distracted, they struck out on Loki. Honoka swung with her right fist with all her strength she had gained from playing tennis, swinging upwards with a three-quarter uppercut or smash. Kaede twisted her whole body like she saw her brother did before and also what Uncle Big Ma had taught her, visualizing her hit would smash her enemy. She used her left hand as it was the easiest hand to use to hit her target.

Both attacks launched upwards, and due to Loki's height while standing and their height...their attacks smashed into Loki's crotch.

Everyone froze as they watched the girls attack land. Even Odin, who had just arrived, winced as he crossed his legs, as did all the men who had seen it.

Loki couldn't even make a sound as his body teetered back before falling towards the ground.

"Loki-sama!" screamed several shadows as they ran to catch him.

The other shadows tried to attack Kenichi once more, knowing he wasn't restricted anymore. Unfortunately for them, Kenichi already lashed out. He punched one out, grabbed another, swung him into another shadow while kicking another one before flipping and landing an ax kick onto another's collarbone. Another one tried to attack Kenichi's back, only for Hermit to slam his fist into him.

"Kenichi, are you alright?" asked Miu in a worried tone, even though she knew Kenichi had taken worst punishment in training. Still, Kenichi had two of the best doctors on hand for any treatment, and she could see charred skin on him.

"Don't worry about it, nothing Akisame-shifu can't fix," chuckled Kenichi as he gingerly touched his skin.

"Nii chan!" called out both sisters as Siegfried and Thor gently brought them down to ground floor and tackled their respective brothers.

"I was so scared," sniffed Honoka, "You kept getting hit because of me."

While Kenichi tried to calm Honoka down, Kaede was giving Hermit the cold shoulder after hugging him.

"Come on Kaede," begged Hermit, "Don't be like that."

"You didn't even try helping Kenichi," huffed Kaede, "I don't care about what this 'Kensei-sama' business is, but he has nothing to do with that goggle idiot! I can't believe you hang out with them!"

While she had her back towards her brother, she stuck out her tongue in mischief as Hermit tried to beg for forgiveness.

"You...YOU!" squeaked Loki as he tried to get up, making sure his balls hadn't ruptured, "How dare you brats hit me where the sun don't shine! Siegfried! Thor! Hermit! Do you know what it means to violate the command of Kensei-sama! What happened to your damn loyalty to Kensei Hermit! Why didn't you attack Kenichi when I, who have Kensei orders, ordered you to! With this act of betrayal, you three are no longer part of Ragnarok!"

"Hmph, as if I would want to be with a group that condones kidnapping," snorted Thor.

"Hmph, I've changed my mind," growled Hermit, "For the sake of my sister, I bid Ragnarok farewell! I will not put her in harm's way if you drag her into it."

"Lalalala but you lied about the order," sang Siegfried, "For I doubt he would condone such action!"

"I'll kick all your asses!" shouted Loki in anger.

"That's enough," rang a voice, "Nobody move."

Everyone looked to see Odin had finally revealed himself.

"Feh...so you've come," said Hermit, "The First Fist Odin."

Odin glanced around and noticed Kenichi wearing the promised Ying Yang pin.

"It's been a long time," greeted Odin.

"Ryuuto-kun?" said Kenichi, faking surprise.

"Hoo so you do remember me," smiled Odin, causing almost all the Fists and others to be shocked. The time travelers weren't surprised, and Siegfried was busy composing another song as usual.

"I'd say we should fulfill that day's promise right now, but seeing that you're injured, it would be unfair," sighed Odin as he lifted his glasses up to his nose, "Perhaps someday soon. Loki, come back."

"No freaking way!" cursed Loki, "They've pissed me off way too much! I'll settle these things now!"

"I'll overlook you freely tossing Kensei-sama's name," said Odin as he began to walk away, "But break one more rule."

He turned around to reveal he had stolen Loki's goggles without him even noticing before crushing it. Seething in anger but unable to do anything, Loki reluctantly obeyed and left.

Meanwhile, Odin turned to the fifth, sixth, and seventh fist.

"Though it is forbidden to strike against another Fist, you three were correct in doing so. Kensei-sama never gives direct orders to us. He is a totem to which we all gather upon. So thus, will you three cancel your resignation?"

"No," replied Hermit, "I've been warming the bench with Ragnarok for too long. Not only that, but I have a sister to take care of. Plus, Kensei-sama told me to travel my own path, and that path is away from Ragnarok!"

"I only joined Ragnarok to spread the teaching of Combat-Sumo!" announced Thor, "I would never join a group that would condone kidnapping! My time with Ragnarok is over!"

"I have had enough inspiration from Ragnarok," sang Siegfried, "It's time to pursue new inspirations from other sources!"

"So be it," sighed Odin, a bit peeved on losing three Fists at once. Especially with the new gang Yami rising and intruding on their turf, "The next time we meet, we will be enemies. Though rest assured Hermit, your sister will not be involved in this as long as she does not seek to fight us."

And with that message, Odin left them all.

* * *

"So...you know Odin," started Takeda as they calmly walked out the church gates.

"Used to," clarified Kenichi, "Back when we were still kids. He used to be my best friend until my family moved away when we were six."

"Hey, maybe you can use this to have Ragnarok back off you!" suggested Ukita.

"Doubt it," sighed Kenichi, "I don't know the present Ryuuto, but back then, he was pretty stubborn about some things."

"He's right!" sang Siegfried, scaring most of them, "Odin is rather set in his path for victory! He may let others do as they will, but in the end, he is the one who makes the final decisions in Ragnarok without caring what others think!"

"Right, another question," raised Takeda, "What are you two, the...ex-fists of Ragnarok doing here?"

"Yes, what are you doing here?" asked Hermit as he was interested in it, too, as they had saved his sister.

"Kekeke, there's no harm in letting them know now," cackled Niijima, "Siegfried has been my loyal servant for years now."

"Wait, so you had an inside man in Ragnarok all this time!?" asked a shocked Ukita.

"I'm surprised Odin didn't discover this earlier," blinked Hermit.

"Siegfried can be very dedicated to not being noticed when he wants to," supplied Thor, "Speaking of which, what are you going to do now?"

"I will be joining the Shinpaku Alliance to serve my demon king!" sang Siegfried, "Will you join me in this endeavor, Thor, Hermit?"

"...Will I be able to spread the word of combat sumo?" asked Thor.

"Of course," nodded Niijima.

"I'm in!"

"Whatever, I'm leaving," grunted Hermit as he began to take Kaede home, still trying to beg Kaede to forgive him. Kaede truly had him wrapped around her pinky.

* * *

 **And done. Now for the Omake! Thank Third Fang for giving me this idea and helping out with it!**

* * *

 _ **Omake! The attempts of Kidnapping Honoka!**_

 _Attempt 1:_

"This is Shadow 4," said Loki Shadow 4 as he radioed the others, "I have the target within sight. She is currently in the playground with an old man. This'll be easier than taking candy from a baby."

"Be swift and fast" commanded Loki from a distance, "Number 20, go distract the old man. Shadow Number 4, lure the brat near the bushes. Offer her sweets."

The plan would have gone perfectly...if the old man hadn't been Mototsuga babysitting his precious daughter.

As he was talking with Number 20, Shadow Loki Number 4 began his approach towards Kaede. Mototsuga's father sense began blaring, so he excused himself from Number 20 and began walking towards Shadow 4, pulling out his newest hunting rifle Rotowski that had been somehow hiding under his coat.

He had wanted to break in this rifle, and what better way to do so than to protect his daughter from this punk that wanted to hit on her.

The idea that the elder teens were trying to kidnap the elementary school student rather than trying to flirt with his daughter never crossed his mind. As far as he was concerned, all boys not of blood that approached his adorable little angel were unworthy hellspawn.

Ever since Natsu a.k.a. Hermit came into their lives, he had been rather quick to jump the gun literally.

"Err Number 20?" asked Loki from a safe distance, getting a bad feeling in his stomach, "You're better with firearms. Please tell me that's not a real gun the old guy is wielding?"

"...It is. I can smell the new gun smell on it, and Shadow 4 is the deer he's hunting."

"...Shadow 4, abort mission! I repeat, abort mission! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!" shouted Loki.

Shadow 4 blinked at the sudden command and looked over his shoulder to see a rifle being pointed at him, and Number 20 behind Mototsuga signaling him the signal to GTFO, as the situation was now FUBAR.

Shadow 4 never ran so fast in his life, especially when he could hear bullets whistling past his legs.

 _Attempt 2:_

"Shadow 6 in position" stated Shadow 6 after Shadow 4 refused to participate in any more missions to kidnap Honoka, "Shadow 2 and 3 are with me."

"Alright boys, this is important," stated Loki on the radio, this time on his computer doing some other important tasks, "Is the gun-wielding man there?"

"Err negative, this time it's only a female walking with the target from the grocery store," stated Shadow 6, "I believe it's the mother. And damn she looks fine."

"Good," sighed Loki in relief, "Proceed as planned. Shouldn't take much to escape from the mother with the child on hand. Use force if needed."

As much he followed the aesthetics of evil, he wasn't cruel enough on his men to attempt a kidnapping as long as that madman was there. How the guy got around the stringent gun laws in Japan was a headache in itself. Even the Yakuza shied away from using firearms whenever possible due to the legal nightmares that possessing one illegally can cause.

Hours later, Loki was waiting for his shadows to come with their hostage when he saw three of his shadows dragging themselves back to base without Honoka and with several large bruises and cuts.

"What happened!?" interrogated Loki, noticing the cartoon-sized welts on their heads.

"Mother with frying pan...hurts so much," cried Shadow 2, "She wouldn't stop!"

"After she was finished," sniffed Shadow 6, "She made us pay for new one while giving us an hour lecture about how bad it was trying to surprise people."

"I'm sorry mommy," said Shadow 3 as he began to curl up in a fetal position, "Please stop hitting me with a frying pan."

Loki facepalmed at this before asking, "Why didn't you use the stun batons?"

"We couldn't even get them out," explained Shadow 2, "Shadow 3 almost did, but the mother hurled her frying pan into him before somehow grabbing another one."

"We were in the soup aisle! There shouldn't have been any more pans! It doesn't make any sense!" 3 wailed into his knees. "Why would anyone sell frying pans in the soup aisle?!"

"Ok, why not sneak attack when she turned around to leave?" demanded Loki.

"A man wielding two hunting rifles appeared, yelling that it was hunting season," shivered Shadow 6, "We ran away."

Loki sighed as he guessed the father had made an appearance.

 _Attempt 3:_

"Alright, I'm leading this mission," stated Loki as all of his shadows were with him, "We saw the girl just enter in the store completely alone. Once she comes out, we nab her."

"Why not in the store?" asked a shadow.

"I don't even want to risk it," said Loki, "For all we know, the store owner could have a freaking machine gun."

"Is that likely?" asked another.

"Compared to the other two attempts?" hissed another.

"Alright, she's coming out!" hissed Number 20 from her spying spot in the store.

Honoka began to skip while humming out the store and towards a corner.

"Alright after her, but silently!" ordered Loki, "You two, go around that way so we surround her!"

They quickly moved into their position as Honoka reached the corner and turned.

"Now!" shouted Loki as they all moved, trapping Honoka in the corner pathway.

"Haha, nowhere to...," started Loki before trailing off. They had all been looking down to where her head height should've been, just to see the dark skin on someone's kneecap. They all slowly looked up...and up...and up...until they saw Honoka on Apachai Hopachai's back.

"… Is it too late to get the crazy gun guy again?" Shadow 20 whimpered.

"Apapa Hi!" greeted Apachai, "Are you Honoka's friends?"

"No Apachai, but I recognize these people," stated Honoka, "They keep following me for some reason."

"Apapa that's no good!" exclaimed Apachai.

"Get her!" shouted Loki.

The Shadows started to swarm them while Loki took a smarter approach and ran.

Hours later, Loki's forces were making their way back to base empty-handed. Though not physically injured too much, Apachai had decided to show off to Honoka how he could juggle eight people with his legs.

The trauma and damage to his team's cohesion were devastating.

Especially after he had to forfeit his team's match in the annual Ragnarok Soccer fundraiser due to his team's unanimous fear of dribbling.

* * *

 **Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Siegfried and Thor are officially out from Ragnarok, as well as Hermit! Anyways, for this chapter, I wanted to focus a bit more on Niijima, as I noticed my other chapters didn't really have him in it. Also had fun with the conspiracy theory with Akeshita.**

 **As usual, I'll be a bit distracted with events going on, but I'll try to keep the monthly updates I've been doing. Might be a little late for the next one to be honest due to Destiny 2 muhahaha. Same reminder, I have a pat reon page, just look up azndrgn writing fan fic, come donate if you can. Otherwise, see you guys in my next chapter on my stories, or maybe on my new story that I'm working on!**

 **Also, goal achieved! What's that goal? Well I'll leave that up for you guys to think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**New chapter! A bit shorter than my usual, but the spot I ended at felt like it was a good spot to end at before going to a new chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

"That was nerve-wracking," Kenichi sighed as he and Miu made their way to school.

"It went well," Miu smiled as she began to play with a cat that had been walking along with them, "Siegfried and Thor left Ragnarok much earlier than the previous timeline, and Kaede has her older brother wrapped around her pinky, making sure he stays away from Ragnarok."

"I still find that funny," Kenichi chuckled, "Though it used to somewhat be Honoka that had him wrapped around her pinky."

They had dealt with Mizunuma's problem with becoming violent, taking Sakaki with them to the Kiyukai dojo that he was attending. The Kiyukai dojo headmaster, Alan Subishi, fell to his knees as soon as Sakaki introduced himself, begging the man for an autograph. A few lectures later, and the school's motto of "strength is everything" along with using various unscrupulous ways of fighting was changed to "Strength and Love" while setting in new principles.

Natsu was once more at Ryozanpaku for Kaede's final checkup as well as getting some training in, getting a light spar against Kenichi to test out the new techniques and how to incorporate them into fights.

"So how's Kaede treating you, Natsu-san?" Kenichi teased, only to dodge a rather rage-filled blow to the face from Natsu.

"Will you be staying for dinner?" Miu asked from the side as she folded laundry.

"No, but rather tomorrow night," Natsu sighed, "I want to celebrate Kaede's recovery. She's doing much better now and barely had a cough anymore. I wanted it to be a small private party, but Kaede wants to celebrate it here with Ryozanpaku. If you don't mind, may I borrow the kitchen for tomorrow? We will bring the ingredients over."

"Oh, I can help cook," Miu smiled, "It'll be fun to do it with Kaede and Honoka."

Natsu grunted as he blocked a high kick from Kenichi.

"So you all are here after all!" rang a voice.

The trio, along with the Elder who was supervising the fight, all looked to the source of the voice to see Ma Renka flip over the wall and land on a stone lantern perfectly without a scratch on either her and the stone.

"Oh great, it's the exhibitionist again," Natsu groaned.

"Who are you calling an exhibitionist, you pervert!?" Renka screeched, her two strands of hair going up and down.

"I'll go tell your father that you're here," Kenichi stated, eager to get away.

"What, Renka is here!?" Kensei gasped, "She's earlier than what you guys predicted!"

"There were bound to be some changes," Kenichi whispered, "Some things are happening a bit earlier."

Kensei quickly packed his bags, closed down his shop for the day, double checked on Kaede's health before giving her some medicine, and almost made it out when Renka grabbed his shoulder, asking him where he was going. When he said he didn't want to head back to China yet, Renka threatened to reveal to Mama about this place, causing Kensei to beg her not to.

"Mama and little brother are training over 10,000 people in the Phoenix Alliance," Renka scolded, "Just how long do you plan on fooling around!?"

"She has a little brother?" Natsu whispered in surprise while Kensei told her that he had not been fooling around, but was training the history's strongest disciple. When asked how she even found this place, she told them that a friend gave a small hint and that she ruthlessly exploited that. That, and she managed to get her uncle drunk after multiple tries and got him to spill the beans after being drunk 40 weeks straight.

It was then that the rest of Ryozanpaku, Honoka, and Kaede were introduced to Renka.

"So you intend to bring Ma-shifu back to China no matter what?" Kenichi asked after introductions were done.

"Yep and since you're Papa's number one student, you'll be brought back with him," Renka smiled as she hugged his arm, her breast pressing down on his arm.

"No!" Honoka shouted as she grabbed her plastic hammer and started bonking Renka anywhere she could, "You won't take my Onii-chan, Purple Hair Big Booby!"

"Yea," Miu said as she draped herself onto Kenichi, causing him to blush, "You won't take my _boyfriend_ away from me."

Kenichi was turning into a rather interesting color, as if trying to turn crimson while also losing all color on his face as he peeked over at the Elder, afraid of his wrath. The Elder...was just chuckling at the sight of this.

"Anyways, I have no plans to leave Ryozanpaku!" Kenichi stated as he managed to escape from Renka's grasp.

"Hmph, here's to hoping I don't see your face again," Natsu huffed.

"What are you talking about?" Renka asked as she glomped Natsu, surprising him, "You're coming with me to China! You're Uncle's best student and before he left, Ma Sogetsu was also part of the Phoenix Alliance, so you should be honored and required to come to China! Plus...you need to take responsibility for what you did."

Everyone turned around to stare at Natsu, who blinked before muttering several silent curses in his mind, not wanting Kaede to catch those words.

"What did you do to my daughter?" Kensei asked, a slightly demonic glow emanating from his eyes.

"One, don't say such misleading things!" Natsu roared, "Two, it's your own damn fault, you exhibitionist! Three, I'm the president of the Tanimoto Corporation! I can't just go to China on a whim! I have a sister to take care of!"

"Oh no problem, you can take her with you," Renka smiled as her two strands of hair began to move up and down like cat ears, causing Miu to scratch her chin like a cat. Renka reacted by purring like one before she blinked and started stomping her foot in anger at being treated as such.

"Enough, Kaede, it's time to go home!" Natsu announced, quickly grabbing Kaede, "We'll see you tomorrow! Except you, Miss Exhibitionist!"

"Pervert!" Renka shouted back before looking back at Kenichi who was walking away, "Change of plans. I'll be staying here for a bit!"

* * *

The next day, Kenichi was practicing the single-sided meteor hammer by himself when Renka inserted herself into his training.

"Oh, so you're learning how to use a weapon!" Renka smiled, "And it's one that I'm familiar with! Let me help you!"

Seeing no real harm in it, Kenichi began swinging his weapon while Renka pulled out her double sided one from somewhere in between her cleavage.

As the sun began to fall, Kaede, Honoka, and Natsu arrived at Ryozanpaku, where the girls joined Miu in cooking dinner, where a sumptuous feast was made in celebration of Kaede's full recovery. Apachai was the first one to the table, eager as always to eat.

"Ah, I'm sorry Kenichi," Renka said as she and Kenichi arrived, "I was so surprised from your kick that our ropes got tangled up and somehow tied us up together!"

Miu's eyebrow could be seen twitching in anger as Renka slyly looked at Miu, pushing her breasts onto Kenichi's back. One cough from Miu had Kenichi basically teleporting right next to Miu to sit with her, with Honoka on his other side. The Elder looked at Kenichi with hidden approval while Kensei coughed in embarrassment at his daughter's actions.

Renka frowned as she took a seat next to Natsu, who didn't look pleased with the seating arrangement.

"Exhibitionist stealer," Natsu scoffed.

"Perverted weakling," Renka said at the same time.

"What'd you say!?" they both roared at the same time, glaring at each other.

"Now, now, let's eat this generous feast that was cooked by Miu, Honoka, and Kaede," Akisame suggested, trying to keep the peace.

The two huffed at each other and looked away before starting to eat with the others.

After a few pleasant conversations, Kaede began talking to Renka.

"You're pretty like Miu is," Kaede complimented.

"Why thank you," Renka smiled, "It's nice to see that someone from your family knows proper manners."

Renka glared at Natsu at this before returning to Kaede.

"So you're Ma Kensei's daughter?" Kaede clarified.

"Yep," Renka answered as she drank some water. By coincident, Natsu was also drinking some water.

"Then if you married my brother, then Ma Sogetsu would really be my uncle! Nii-chan, you should ask her out!" Kaede exclaimed.

"Oh wow, look at the rainbow," Kenichi noted as both Renka and Natsu tilted their heads up and spat water from their mouth, shocked by Kaede's suggestion.

"Why would I be interested in that pervert/exhibitionist!?" Natsu and Renka shouted together.

"Exhibitionist?" Kaede asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Oh, I mean, it's nothing," Natsu said quickly, "In short, big brother isn't interested in a girl like her, okay. I'm too busy with work and taking care of you."

"Hey, what do you mean like a girl like me!?" Renka said, "You still have to pay up for groping me and doing that to me! Because of you, I almost became unable to be married!"

"Brother," Kaede asked as a demonic mask appeared above her, "What does she mean by that?"

"I...err...you'll understand when-" Natsu tried, but Kaede interrupted him.

"I already had The Talk with auntie Saori. So tell me. What did you do?"

"Ok one, it was not my fault," Natsu defended, "She couldn't aim properly and managed to snag me with her stupid meteor hammer. Next thing I knew, we were somehow tangled together, and she wouldn't stop moving her body when I told her to be still. Then she...placed her groin on top of my mouth."

"Kyaa I can't be a bride!" Renka cried as Natsu told the story to Kaede, putting her hands on her face as she cried crocodile tears.

"Who told you to keep moving?" Natsu growled, "If you had just kept still, Miu and Kenichi would've been able to get us out of there!"

"Oh that's an easy fix for you Renka," Kaede chirped, "Brother, take responsibility and marry Renka."

Silence pervaded the dining area as dozens of Choju Giga animals stomped through the room.

"What!?" both Natsu and Renka screeched as one, "Why would I marry this idiot! What'd you say!?"

Both Renka and Natsu butted heads against each other, glaring at each other.

"See, you're both already so much in sync!" Kaede said, causing the two to quickly separate and blush.

"Though I'm afraid you won't be able to take my brother to China," Kaede expressed calmly, "He is the president of the Tanimoto Corporation, and he can't just leave it. I have studied, but I cannot lead the corporation like my brother can. However, I would love to have a big sister! Also, since you yourself have said that your mother and your little brother are currently leading the Phoenix Alliance, that means you are available. It would be good for big brother to have a date of someone from a famous organization when he has to attend dinner parties and have someone shoo away all those money-grubbing girls."

Kaede slammed mounds of logic upon the two poor souls as her words pierced through the two as they spun from the impact, spitting out blood as they did so.

For Renka, it was true that despite being the daughter of the leader of the Phoenix Alliance, her responsibilities weren't as large as her mother or even little brother. She had enough freedom to pursue whatever she wanted like a cat. Sadly, this was rather one trait she shared with her father.

For Natsu, It was true that the business meetings/parties that he had to attend to keep up company morale. Besides the fact there were people who held a grudge against him for inheriting such a company due to luck, quite a few were willing to be bootlickers towards him, trying to bring their daughter to seduce him.

Still, both did not want to admit to such a thing and blustered their way out. Night fell upon them all and Kaede and Honoka ended up falling asleep at the dojo. Seeing as they were very comfortable there, Natsu decided to stay the night as there was no school tomorrow nor was there work.

* * *

Renka snuck into Kenichi's room to ask why he joined Ryozanpaku after finding out he didn't really have any heritage within the martial arts world. Of course, his answer was to protect his friends and to be able to protect a certain person. Seeing that, Renka could only sigh as she made her way out. It was painfully clear that Kenichi would not be leaving Miu anytime soon. The two of them really were close, and even her Papa had given her a small warning not to interfere with their relationship. Not that it would've stopped her, as her mama told her that if she wanted a boy to pursue him as hard as she could, as long as the boy didn't have a fiance. But it didn't mean she would completely give up. As she left the room, she frowned as she saw Miu bringing in some Onigiri for a late night snack.

"He happened to see you first," Renka scoffed as Miu approached her, "That's all there is to it. Don't think you'll always be ahead."

The two girls glared in confrontation with Renka's hair moving like cat ears. Miu was unable to hold the serious gaze and started petting Renka and scratching her chin like a cat. Renka reacted like one until both managed to snap out of it.

That night, Renka managed to sneak into Kenichi's room one more time before everyone turned in to sleep.

"Psstt...Kenichi! Psstt!" Renka whispered.

"What is it?" asked Kenichi as he opened the door to his room.

"I didn't get to tell you this earlier, but this is something vital that is needed in your improvement of Chinese Martial Arts," Renka said, "If you want to know, come with me tomorrow to a certain place! It's a special secret training!"

"Hoo, and what training is this?" Natsu asked from within the room. Renka almost screamed as she noticed Natsu bunking down inside Kenichi's room, but played it cool.

"Super special," Renka said, "You're welcomed to join too. It's something that everyone within the Ma family, including Ma Sogetsu, participated in."

"Now I'm interested," Natsu said.

"Good. Then both of you will come with me to the certain location tomorrow. And don't let anyone know, notice, or follow you!" Renka explained.

'I already know what this is,' Kenichi thought as he sighed.

"What is this, may I ask that we're lacking?" Natsu asked.

"Right. It's..."

 _The next day_

"Relaxation!" Renka cheered as she wore one-piece white swimsuit with a window on her cleavage to expose them. She had led them to Matsue Water Park.

"Why did I even believe her?" Natsu asked as he wore swim trunks and a shirt.

"Because you're gullible," Kenichi said, wearing blue swim trunks.

"And you're not?" Natsu hissed, "Then why'd obey her and come?"

"Because I know my masters, they're right there," Kenichi pointed towards a group of chairs.

Renka and Natsu looked over to see that Kenichi was right and almost face faulted.

"Why are you all here!?" Renka screamed.

"We're here too!" Kaede and Honoka cheered, wearing a school-issued swimsuit.

"Ara, didn't you invite us?" Miu asked while wearing a two-piece orange swimsuit, "Ma-san told us he was treating us all."

Renka blinked in shock as Kensei unclipped one of Renka's bells to reveal a radio tracker that he had placed two days ago.

"Renka, I thought I told you," Kensei whispered, "Don't try to get in between those two. There's a lot more history between them that you don't know."

"What type of parent obstructs his daughter's happiness?" Renka growled, "Mama told me that she chased after you even though you were dating someone else!"

"I think your selective hearing kicked in," Kensei said, "True I was dating someone. But that relationship was already going downhill before I met your mother. I was going to split up with her. Your mama just made it go faster when I met her. Everybody already knew that we were going to split up. Right now, those two don't show any signs of that. So please Renka, as your father, don't pursue this any longer."

"...Fine," Renka pouted, "But I still want to have fun with him!"

"And that's fine," Kensei said, "But only as a friend. Look for somebody else instead."

"Like Natsu Tanimoto?" Renka teased.

"Well he does need to take responsibility," Kensei started.

"Hell no!" Renka shouted as she stomped away.

"Well then, let's start training," Akisame said with a smile.

"Oh come on!" Renka complained, "Kenichi needs a break too! He can't train all the time!"

"Haha, don't worry," Akisame laughed, "Since Kenichi doesn't visit the pool often, we'll do some light training."

Kenichi ended up treading water with twice the weight compared to the last timeline, though he managed to raise his chest out of the water this time through. His next training was climbing up the large pool slide that Akisame rented by giving one of his drawings to the manager, who was a huge fan of his art. Weights were strapped onto wrists and legs to increase the difficulty. Miu also joined in on the training and went first. Kensei was about to follow to instruct Kenichi on how to 'properly' climb it, but a glare from Miu and the Elder allowed Kenichi to quickly jump in first.

"Natsu-san, you're doing this training too," Kensei called out as Kenichi went in, "Your lower body could use a bit more work."

"But...," Natsu started, who had been watching over his sister, who was being catapulted by Apachai and laughing loudly. A rather huge line of kids was waiting for their turn.

"No buts," Kensei said, "Apachai will be there to watch over them. Now get over here and climb this slide."

Natsu glanced around and saw nobody from Koryu High and decided to join. The reason why he had a shirt and a jacket on was to hide his muscles. He still had to maintain that Mr. Nice Guy facade at school, and if it was revealed he had muscles, that would detract from the image he had built up. Shrugging the clothes off, he proceeded to climb the pool slide just to find out it was harder than he expected. The surging water pushed him back a little every time he made progress, and the slippery materials that constructed the slide made it difficult to keep a grip on. He was dismayed when he saw Kenichi and Miu climbing up without any real trouble.

"I won't give up," Natsu growled to himself as he made his way up the slide.

After that, Kenichi had to do front kicks at the 50-meter lane 100 times while Natsu was at another doing waist training. He had to swing his arms horizontally in the deeper side of the pool while walking, making use of the water resistance.

* * *

"Finally!" Renka said as Kenichi finished the training for today, "Come on, let's go on that water slide!"

Natsu was tired and resting on a chair with an umbrella to block out the sun while watching over his sister.

"Sure," Kenichi said, "Miu, do you want to come with us!?"

Renka growled before smiling as Miu shook her head, raising a glass of animitsu that she was enjoying. Renka, of course, chose a water slide where two people were seated on a mat, and she took the back seat as they went down, making sure her breasts pressed on Kenichi's back.

"That was fun!" Renka cheered, "Let's go on another one!"

"Let me check on Miu and Honoka first," Kenichi said as he left, leaving Renka to stomp her feet angrily. Then she noticed a brown-haired man with small glasses wearing suspenders and another man with shades and wearing a suit. Both of them were looking around, as if searching for someone.

"Crap, those are uncle's students," Renka murmured as she recognized them as Shokatsu Koan and Ryu Genson, "Maybe I can use Miu as a distraction!"

Renka looked around and frowned as she saw Miu inside the wading pool with Kenichi, splashing water against each other. She looked and saw Natsu sitting up and decided to use him instead.

"Come with me!" Renka hissed as she pulled Natsu with her.

"What do you want now?" Natsu asked moodily.

"Truth be told, something bad has happened," Renka lied smoothly, "A group of Chinese mafia has come here. They usually target Uncle Hakubi, but they might have changed tactics and try to capture me and use me as a hostage!"

"And I care about this...why?" Natsu grunted, causing Renka to almost fall over.

"You meanie! Don't you care that a beautiful young lady like me might get hurt?" Renka fumed.

"Someone like you?" Natsu quizzed, "Not my problem."

Before Renka could say anything, Ryu grabbed Renka by her arm while telling her she couldn't escape.

"Please come with us, Renka-oujo," Shokatsu requested.

Natsu turned around to leave and accidentally bumped shoulders against Shokatsu quite roughly and didn't apologize.

"Hey, not cool," Shokatsu said, grabbing Natsu by the shoulder, "It's proper manners to apologize for a bump."

"Get your hands off me," Natsu growled, shoving Shokatsu away.

"Rude!" Shokatsu said, now grabbing Natsu by the wrist.

"Fuck off!" Natsu shouted as he swung his other hand into Shokatsu's face.

Shokatsu was surprised at this sudden action and took the swing head on, causing him to fly back into the floor.

"Koan!" Ryu shouted, "Bastard, you'll pay for that!"

He let go of Renka and charged at Natsu, who took this time to escape.

'Not what I had in mind, but I'll take it,' grinned Renka with a feline smile.

Natsu found himself in a battle that he didn't want, but was willing to fight. The two clashed fists for a few moves before moving back.

"Not bad," commented Ryu, "Looks like you have some skill. Qi Xing Tang Lang Quan, Ryu Genson!"

Shokatsu shook his head to clear out the hit he just took before getting into position, "Chujilao, Shokatsu Koan, present!"

"Hmph, fine," scoffed Natsu, "Hikaken and Hakkyokuken, Hermit. That's all you'll get out of me."

"Sounds good to me!" roared Ryu as he charged forward, "Koan, this one's mine!"

The two exchanged fists, blocking each other's attack while trying to gain the upper hand.

"Gotcha!" roared Ryu as he launched a high low combo, making Natsu move before shifting his legs to intercept with Natsu's.

"Kiss the poolside," sneered Ryu as performed the **Qiang Tang Lang Loin Chop,** trying to force Natsu to fall over towards the pool and hit his head on the poolside.

Natsu did fall over, but his hand quickly gripped the poolside, and using the momentum, brought both legs up to smash them into Ryu's head. Ryu managed to bring his left arm up to protect him but was still sent flying into the pool. As a last-ditch effort, Ryu shot his hand forward and grabbed Natsu by his swim trunks.

"Hey, let go!" growled Natsu as he tried to keep his trunks on. In the end, they both fell into the water before continuing to fight.

As the fight progressed, both found themselves running out of oxygen, but both too stubborn to go up for it. They wanted to knock out the other fighter before going for air, their pride hindering their survival instinct. As the crowd watched the pool (well most of them. Kensei was watching Shigure's ass), the air bubbles slowly diminished until there were none left.

"Nii-chan!" shouted Kaede in worry.

"Are you guys pretending to be goldfish?" shouted the Elder as he did a spinning back kick towards the water with his eyes blazing with power, "Play on land!"

The force of the kicked caused the water to split apart to reveal only Ryu Genson laying there. A second later, Natsu's head popped out to the side of the pool, gasping for breath.

"I win," panted Natsu as he inhaled all the precious oxygen he could get.

Of course, the majority of the crowd thought that the water splitting was an event and eagerly clapped in awe.

"Genson!" shouted Shokatsu, "You'll pay for that!"

As he charged for Natsu, Kenichi decided it was time to intervene and stood in his path.

"Get out of my way!" shouted Shokatsu as he delivered a few high punches before spinning away from an elbow to deliver a deadly kick, only for Kenichi to completely stop it by stomping his foot onto Shokatsu's. Then, he delivered enough power to force Shokatsu's kick off but not let him fall down.

"That's enough," said Kensei, coming in between them, "You and the kid in the pool are Uncle Hakubi's disciples, correct?"

"Master Ma," greeted Shokatsu, completely dropping out of a fighting stance, "We were sent by Master Hakubi to retrieve Renka."

"Let's head back to Ryozanpaku then," said Kensei, "We can talk more there. Apachai has already picked up your friend."

Moments later they were all back at Ryozanpaku, but not before all of Ryozanpaku and company received annual passes for Matsue Park.

"We should come back here again!" cheered Honoka.

"Ya!" agreed Kaede, "Nii-chan, will you join us please?"

"When I have the time," said Natsu with a gentle smile.

'So, he does have his sweet side,' thought Renka as she saw that genuine smile and blushed a little before looking away.

A short explanation later, Renka went back with the other two, as Hakubi was lonely and started taking out mafia members to put his loneliness out of his mind.

"Such a violent family," sighed Natsu as he and Kaede returned home.

"What are you talking about Nii-chan?" smiled Kaede, "You're used to it with Ragnarok already."

"Do not go there," warned Natsu, "I have no interest in the girl."

"You say that now," whistled Kaede, "But I saw you talking with her in private."

"That was nothing," said Natsu coldly before shaking off the frost, "Come on, it's a school day tomorrow. Go to sleep."

At another place, Loki was raging about how his perfectly tuned plan had fallen apart thanks to Odin interfering. He kept ranting until Freya pointed out that it was his fault that three fists simultaneously quit. Natsu had quit because Loki had kidnapped his sister and the other two condemned kidnapping. At the same time, she herself also condemned such action and had only joined Ragnarok to not only show that woman could be stronger than men with weapons but to seek guidance from Kensei-sama whom none but Odin had ever seen.

"Grrr fine," spat Loki, "But I'm saying this now. I feel that you Berserker are more fit to be the leader!"

Loki left, thinking he had sown the seeds of discontent within the group now. Meanwhile, Kisara voiced out concern that they would be crushed before even facing Yomi, causing more discontent. Freya merely narrowed her eyes as Loki had warned her that Kisara's probability of betrayal was quite high. Though she may disagree with Loki's plan, her loyalty to Ragnarok was wavering.

* * *

At the same time, Odin was currently walking through a park, where he sat down and waited for a certain someone.

"Ryuto-sama!" shouted a certain girl as she ran towards Odin.

"It's Odin while I have these gloves," corrected Odin as he adjusted his glasses, "It's been awhile Atlante."

"Boo, just call me Rimi!" pouted Kokorone Rimi, "Odin-sama called me out! What do you need?"

"A new Fist," said Odin, "We just lost quite a bit of manpower thanks to Loki. Would you be interested in filling one of the Eight Fists of Ragnarok while I find other potential candidates?"

"Of course!" shouted Rimi in happiness, "Rimi will be happy to join!"

"Good, good," said Odin as he began to leave, "I'll be sure to tell the others about you later. I'll have gloves constructed for you at a later date and introduce you to the others."

"Odin-sama!" shouted Rimi, "Do you want to eat dinner together!?"

"Perhaps another day," said Odin, "I have more business to attend to."

As Odin left, Rimi quickly ran home to update her blog.

 _Meanwhile at one of Niijima's bases_

Niijima was busy updating his PDA when he got a message telling him about an update on Rimi's blog. He quickly scanned the message and frowned for a bit.

"I knew Ryuto Asami knew Rimi, but I didn't think this would happen. Still, it's still within acceptable parameters. Now then, Takeda is currently begging James Shiba to become his master, Siegfried and Thor are improving themselves...Ukita definitely needs improvement. Just going to his old judo place won't be enough. But what to do?"

Niijima began to ponder on how to improve Ukita's skill before shelving it for later. There was still time for Ukita.

* * *

Days passed as fewer and fewer gang members of Ragnarok and people trying to get into the gang attacked the Shinpaku Alliance fighters. One fighter that prized himself as a Russian slap user bragged how his style would take Kenichi down. A right punch to the face, while the fighter was wildly waving his arms, halted that progress. Takeda had been accepted as James Shiba's disciple after a week of sitting at his house seiza-style. Of course, Shiba had used the same test as the last time, and Takeda easily finished them within the day, even if he did run himself ragged. What cinched it for him was the fact that their favorite move was the left straight and the fact they would be facing Yomi, back up by Yami, though Niijima supplied that tidbit of information.

Miu and Kenichi were walking back home together when they saw Kisara staring at a small orange kitten in a box before kicking the box into the alleyway. Miu's first reaction, of course, was to brutally beat up Kisara, but reigned that in as she remembered Kisara's true nature as a fellow cat lover. The two of them watched Kisara rush into the Matsue convenience store. Seconds later, she was out with a bag of items and bringing it into the alleyway, where she started to feed the lonely kitten while giving him comforting words.

"Aww, can I hold him?"

Kisara froze at the sound of that voice and slowly turned around to Kenichi and Miu.

"D-d-dairy Cow!?" shouted Kisara in shock before her attitude made a 180, turning from a girl who was happily cherishing the kitten to her usual tomboy/bad girl attitude, "Hmph what cat? Oh, there is one! I didn't see him."

"Liar," said Miu as she happily began to pet the cat, "Didn't you just feed him some milk.

"I was just eating, and some milk just happened to spill out," lied Kisara, making up excuses, "And... this cat food... it's my lunch, yea!"

"You don't have to force yourself to lie," sweatdropped Kenichi as Kisara began opening the box and attempting to eat it, "We won't tell anyone about this."

However, as soon as Kenichi said that, a visage of Niijima hovered behind him in Kisara's hallucination. Her mind began linking up imaginary dots until she came to the conclusion the Niijima of Shinpaku would attempt to blackmail her with this. After all, she had heard about the weird alien in Shinpaku before and past rumors of his 'brainwashing'.

"You...," started Kisara as she finished her conclusion and a solution to save her reputation, "I'm going to kill you right now."

'How does she even link that up?' thought Kenichi

The kitten suddenly dashed out to the road, where a driver on a gas scooter was just driving through. Before the kitten could be hit, both Miu and Kisara reacted...rather painfully for the driver. Kisara kicked the driver in the head, launching him off his motorcycle, while Miu saved the kitten while also kicking the scooter out of the way. While the girls focused on the safety of the kitten, it was up to Kenichi to worry about the health of the now semi-conscious driver with a concussion. While doing so, they didn't notice several girls wearing the same style uniform spying on them.

"Yes Freya-sama, she has made contact with the enemy," said Chisato Ayazaki, wearing a pink and white style uniform with a pink skirt to signify her role as second in command of the Valkyries, "They'll still just talking. Once we have found Kisara Nanjo guilty of treason against Ragnarok, we, the Valkyries will end communication and take immediate action."

The other Valkyries, all wearing a blue and white style uniform, nodded as one.

* * *

 _A few days later_

"Yaa!" smiled Miu happily as she played with the kitten at Ryozanpaku. After a small discussion, Miu happily took the poor kitten home and adopted him. The last timeline she didn't get to do so due to some rather rash judgments about the masters of Ryozanpaku. This time, knowing their true nature, Miu was happily caring for the kitten. Of course, Shigure's mouse ,Tochumaru, was told not to harm the new kitten. Tochumaru just shrugged and went back to eating his cheese, not really caring about having a cat in the dojo. He would show the kitten who was the alpha pet later.

"My turn, my turn!" said Kisara, who was visiting Ryozanpaku to play with the kitten, "By the way, I'm surprised you're here Natsu."

"Shut up!" growled Natsu as Kensei was busy poking needles into him to help strengthen his body, "What I do is none of your business!"

Natsu was only here because he had injured himself while practicing a move by himself, and Kaede ended up pushing him to see Kensei while she was visiting to play with Honoka, Apachai, and Shigure.

"Hmph alright," said Kisara as she looked towards where Kenichi was training, "Now that I see his training, I'm not surprised that he beat my Technique Trio as easily as he did."

Kenichi was screaming while beating up several wooden dolls with electricity sparking between their hands while wearing weights. He had to hit a doll 40 times before it would fall down, otherwise, it would shock him. And even when the doll fell, they would randomly come back up again. Even the 'promise' that the machine would stop when all of them were knocked down was fake as they all got back up again.

"Ooh I want to play with the kitten," said Honoka before sneezing.

"Honoka, you're allergic to cats," lectured Kaede, "Don't go near him."

"Hmmm, it might be a problem for the kitten to reside here if Honoka comes over often," mused the Elder, "Why not let the kitten stay at one of your friend's bases?"

"Bases?" asked Natsu and Kisara.

"Ah, maybe I shouldn't have said anything," apologized the Elder.

"No, I don't think Niijima will mind," said Miu, as Kenichi was still too busy fighting for his life, "We could use the one closest to here!"

"By the way, have you given him a name?" asked Akisame as he casually turned up the difficulty for Kenichi while ignoring Kenichi's screams.

"Not yet," admitted Miu, "What name do you think we should give him?"

"Hmph, not that smart are you Dairy Cow," taunted Kisara before giving it some thought, "I want to name him Noir."

Kisara went into details about her first cat for Miu before they returned to playing with the kitten. As evening fell, Kisara was escorted by Miu and still smoking Kenichi to the nearest train station. For reasons unknown to them, Tochumaru decided to escort them, hiding in Kenichi's shirt pocket. Rain started to pour down, forcing all three of them to open their umbrella. However, as they were arriving, the trio found themselves surrounded by all the Valkyries and Freya herself.

"So it's true," said Freya, "Consorting with the enemy. Have you no shame Valkyrie?"

"Freya-sama, leave this to us," announced Ayazaki, second in command, "We, the Valkyries, the direct subgroup of the Third Fist, will punish you!"

"Wait!" said Kenichi, trying to stop the fight from happening, "Kisara is only with us because she was helping take care of a kitten. This has nothing to do with our groups."

"She is with you, the Shinpaku Alliance Assault Captain," declared Ayazaki, "That alone is enough for us to declare that Kisara Nanjo is guilty of treason and should be punished."

"That's not how friends should treat each other," growled Kenichi as he and the others prepared themselves.

As the Valkyries began to draw out their weapons, Miu decided to raise one particular question that had been bothering her.

"If your group is called Valkyries," said Miu, pointing to Freya's group, "And Kisara's new name is Valkyrie...why did you give a new Fist and your group the same name? Wouldn't that confuse people?"

Everyone remained silent as Choju Giga frogs leaped by with dots trailing behind.

"Yea why is that?" shouted Kisara indignantly, "Just because I previously was in your Valkyrie group doesn't mean I should get that name!"

"You'll have to take that up with Odin," said Freya calmly, though a light blush brushed her face, "He was the one who came up with it. I don't think he was aware that my group was called the Valkyries."

'That, or the author got lazy,' piped Tochumaru in his hiding spot, breaking the fourth wall. Luckily, all they heard was squeaks, and the rain covered his voice from coming through.

"It doesn't matter!" shouted Ayazaki as she brandished her weapon, "Freya-sama, let us punish the betrayer and destroy the Shinpaku's assault commander!"

Freya merely nodded, and all the members of the Valkyries charged.

"It's like a weapons exhibit," commented Kenichi as he began to dodge all the attacks.

"Less talking, more fighting!" snapped Kisara as she kicked Usami in the chin, who was wielding a bo staff.

Kisara then watched Miu easily take care of three others like a feather cutting through the wind.

"That's going to be a problem for me," admitted Kenichi as he dodged a whip.

"Oh, and why's that?" asked Freya.

"... I vowed never to hit a woman," admitted Kenichi.

"Oh yeah, you did say that during our fight," remarked Kisara as she kicked another.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING!" yelled almost all the Valkyries as they began to swing their weapons with more anger.

"I knew they'd react like this," sighed Kenichi.

"Don't worry about taking it easy on us," said Freya, suddenly walking forward.

Kenichi turned around and just barely dodged an attack from her, the attack ripping open his shirt.

"Because we're even stronger than men," finished Freya, though surprised to see Kenichi dodge it.

"It's not a matter of taking pity or belittling women," said Kenichi as he dodged another attack, "It's my principles and how I was raised."

"Hmph, but in this case, it would be wise to throw it away," said Freya as she spun her staff, no longer hiding it. Then she completely froze. For on her staff was Tochumaru, who had been flung off Kenichi's shirt pocket and landed perfectly on the tip of her staff.

"Chuu," said Tochumaru with a satisfied tone.

"Freya-sama?" asked Ayazaki with concern as they all saw her freeze.

"Eek!" screamed Freya in a manner completely unlike herself, "A mouse!"

She began to swing her staff erratically, trying to get Tochumaru off. She succeeded when Tochumaru decided to just jump off and land back onto Kenichi's head.

"She's afraid of mouse!?" said Kisara in shock, "Are you kidding me!?"

"Coward!" shouted Toyonaga, the naginta user, "Using Freya-sama's fear to fight against her!"

"I didn't even know she was afraid of mice!" retorted Kenichi as he dodged several more attacks, "Tochumaru, get out of here!"

Tochumaru squeaked in reply before jumping off Kenichi and was about to run off when he was cut off by Tatsumoto, the nunchuck wielding girl.

"I'll crush that little mouse!" shouted Tatsumoto as she spun her nunchuck, slightly showing off how fast she could perform the arm switch move.

Tochumaru's eyes twinkle as he pulled out his own mouse-sized nunchuck from somewhere, spinning it before showing just how much faster he could perform the arm switch move. As he finished, silence pervaded the area.

"Err, not to belittle you," said Yuki, who was wielding a flail, "But I think that mouse is faster than you on the nunchuck."

"Shut up!" shouted a very embarrassed Tatsumoto as she swiped her nunchuck at Tochumaru, who dodged it. He scaled the walls on the side and jumped off it, swinging his nunchuck in a helicopter swing and smack it on top of Tatsumoto's head, dodging an attack from Yuki trying to grab him, and then landing on someone's hand.

"There... you... are," said Shigure as Tochumaru waved before crawling on top of Shigure's head.

"You're the owner of that filthy mouse!?" shouted Aiba as she used her whip to strike at Shigure in anger.

Before anyone could react, Shigure drew out her sword and cut the whip into many tiny pieces, causing all the Valkyries to freeze in shock.

"Using weapons against me... you all have no chance of living now," stated Shigure as she held her sword up high, causing them all to backstep.

"Shigure!" said both Kenichi and Miu as they fearfully held onto Shigure to stop her.

"Just... kidding... neh," finished Shigure, allowing a tumbleweed to blow through.

"Let's go... home," stated Shigure, "Apachai … wants dinner."

"After we drop Kisara near her house," placated Miu.

"Hmph, forget it," said Kisara, "I can handle this myself. Things I hate the most... are women with big breasts and women who use weapons. This is my fight!"

"This counts as big?" asked Shigure as she pushed up her breasts with her hands, causing Kenichi to look away while Miu quickly pushed Shigure's hands down.

Kisara's mind flashed back to when Freya tried to push her to use a weapon when she was in the Valkyries and how Freya stated that for a woman to fight a man equally, they had to use weapons.

"I want... to go home...," said Shigure, "But they seem... to be blocking... the way," said Shigure, pointing to the Valkyries, who were revving up their spirits, "Guess I'll... take care of this."

"No!" shouted Kenichi as Shigure began to draw her sword out.

"No swords!" added Miu, "Nothing that's sharp or uses a blade!"

Shigure, who had been ready to take out a chain sickle, huffed before taking out a wooden spoon made from Akisame.

"Then I'll … use this," said Shigure with a proud voice.

"What the hell is a that going to help with?" asked Kisara.

"You think you can win with that!?" shouted Ayazaki in anger.

"Don't you think you're underestimating us a lot you damn kimono girl!?" shouted Igarashi, the sai user.

"Looks like we'll have to teach you a lesson!" stated Toyanagi as she swung her naginata at Shigure.

All the Valkyries aimed their weapon at Shigure in anger just as Freya managed to snap out of her mouse-induced shock just to see Shigure and her sixth sense was screaming at her.

"Stop!" said Freya, but it was too late.

* * *

Shigure, in most of their eyes, moved so fast that all they could see were blurs. Still, it drove a point when all of their weapons, whether they be made of wood or metal, were sliced into pieces.

"Just using a spoon!" gasped Ayazaki.

"She broke our weapons," continued Igarashi.

"Into... pieces..," finished Toyanagi in fear.

"Hmph," scoffed Shigure, "A spoon can be just as good as a katana. Your weapons... should be like the fists of Karate... or the elbows of Muay Thai... to be viewed as... a part of one's body. You cannot … master a weapon ... by depending on … its power. If you want ... to be a weapon's ... master, one ... must become the … owner of … yourself … first!"

Shigure looked over to Freya, "You ... look like … you were … close to it, ... but lost your ... way."

Freya bristled at the observation but couldn't say anything against Shigure. She could see that Shigure was easily a master, perhaps even greater than her grandfather. Speaking of which, it had been a long time since she had seen him and taken lessons from him. Perhaps... Shigure's words hit the truth closer than Freya wanted. That she began to see a weapon's power as something to equalize the playing field, not as an extension of herself.

For Kisara, it was a realization and reaffirmation of why she had left the Valkyries in the first place. To find her own place, and to become a master of her own self.

"Shut up!" shouted Ayazaki in anger as she threw her weapon to the ground, "Then we'll just use our fists then!"

Before she could take a step, the sound of clothes tearing could be heard. Each one of the Valkyrie's faces had a mixture of shock, fear, embarrassment, and anger painted on their face as their clothes, skirt, and even bra was slash, leaving cut marks everywhere on the clothes while revealing a lot of skin.

"Don't look!" demanded Miu as she jabbed Kenichi's eyes to prevent him from looking, causing him to scream in pain.

The Valkyries tried to cover themselves until Freya ordered them to retreat. They screamed insults and threats as they ran away.

'Not only did she cut their weapons, but she even cut their clothes without them noticing! I didn't even see it,' gasped Freya, 'Not only that, but she has mastered her weapons to an extent that even though she cut through the clothes, not a blemish was done to their skin.'

"Had... enough?" asked Shigure.

Freya could only numbly nod and turn to leave.

"Wait!" shouted Kisara, causing Freya to stop.

"I chose not to become your subordinate not only because I disliked using weapons," confessed Kisara, "But to show that with my legs, I could become one of the Fists, and surpass you. But that's not important anymore. I've chosen my own path! As of today, team Kisara will sever ties with Ragnarok!"

Freya just stared before nodding and leaving.

"So... what now?" asked Miu as they arrived at the bus stop. Shiratori had arrived to help protect Kisara.

"I'll figure something out," sighed Kisara.

"In that case, why not join us officially!" said Niijima, popping out of somewhere with the rest of the alliance and Siegfried.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" shouted Kisara, "And how the hell do you know I broke off with Ragnarok!? I just only declared it!"

"I know a lot of things," grinned Niijima, "Siegfried, show our friend the benefits she gets for joining the Shinpaku Alliance... or at least team up together."

"Of course, my demon lord!" sang Siegfried.

"Siegfried, you're with them?" asked Kisara.

"Along with my friend Thor!" replied Siegfried, "But I could tell, Valkyrie, that though you were part of Ragnarok, you were suppressing a Melody con Tenerezza! Though in any case, since 4 fists have left, Ragnarok is growing out of control and may come to strike you and your subordinates! So we should work together! And if you join us..."

Siegfried reached into his coat pocket and pulled out... an orange kitten.

"I'll throw this in for you!" declared Siegfried, "He was just born last week!"

"So cute!" shouted Miu and Kisara as Kisara grabbed the kitten and started cuddling with it.

"I know your apartment doesn't allow pets," sang Siegfried, "So I'm willing to open a small room in my mansion! Or even one of Niijima's base can be converted to a place for you to play with the kittens! I have around 20 breeds of cats and dogs for you to play with!"

"I don't care about dogs, just the cats," cried Kisara as she started rolling with the new kitten.

"Here's another one!" said Siegfried, pulling out another cat from his coat again, "And another cat, the hairless Canadian Cat!"

"Where is he pulling these cats out from?" whispered Shiratori to Kenichi.

"I learned to give up understanding that," replied Kenichi.

Kisara and Miu began to coo over the kittens before Miu remembered that she actually now owned a kitten, and felt guilty lavishing attention to other cats. Though Siegfried reminded Miu that it would be good for her kitten to play with other kittens every now and then, and also gave advice on how to raise them.

Kisara snapped out of her cat-induced trance and tried to revert back to a cool persona, but it was rather late to do so. Still, in the end, she agreed to the alliance.

* * *

 **There. Hmm feels like this chapter was a bit disjointed, but I wasn't exactly sure how to connect them all. There were tons of other things that happened in between that I just skipped as they weren't too relevant to the plot. For instance, skipping Siegfried and Thor's fight altogether.**

 **Who loves Tochumaru!? He so trolly sometimes, I just had to put him in. Muhaha, showing just how strong he is! And if Noir lives in Ryozanpaku... he'll probably become the History Strongest's Cat just as Tochumaru is the strongest mouse lol.**

 **Let's see the timeline. Rimi joins Ragnarok! Can't follow canon flow all the time, each action they do will influence how things played out.**

 **I do promise the next chapter will be very battle filled and detailed. I can see most people enjoyed my Omake, with Third Fang helping me out a bit.**

 **Speaking of which, I did it! I'm in first place in the Kenichi archives! Which isn't much, I know, but it's something. Now to hope people don't all unfav and unfollow it because I said this. Gotta thank Third Fang for mentioning my story as well as helping me with the initial chapters as well as bouncing ideas.**

 **Have pat reon page, azndrgn writing fanfic, come donate if you feeling generous! Or just come check it out, I do post posts on it!**

 **Last but not least, I have finally released a new story I said I was going to do. It's a My Hero Academia Story starring Izuku, straight from the poll that I said I would do! Come check it out!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yaa new chapter!**

 **t was kinda hard to write, not because of muse... but because I was spending a lot of time on Destiny 2 stuff. Which will still be going on that grind. Oh well, Enjoy! Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!**

 **This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve!**

* * *

 _Woosh_

Freya's staff slashed through the air as she continued to train herself. She began to juggle multiple plastic crates, a routine she always did to practice her accuracy and power.

 _'If you want to be a weapon's master, one must become the owner of yourself first!'_

What the kimono woman had said rang in her mind.

 _'You look like you were close to it, but lost your way.'_

Freya missed the crate she was aiming for, allowing to clatter on the ground. Frustrated, she stomped over to her water bottle and drank some water to allow her body some reprieve.

"Seems like you've lost your touch," rang a voice.

Freya glanced over to see Loki and Berserker coming into her practice area.

"I've heard from the grapevine that your Valkyries lost horribly to Valkyrie… now that I say that out loud, that's confusing," commented Loki, "Anyways, but your direct subgroup lost to not only Kisara, but even the Shinpaku Alliance Assault Commander and his girlfriend! Not only that, but I heard something about a girl in a kimono with a wooden spoon kicking all of your asses! Anything to say about that?"

"If you heard your sources clearly," glared Freya, "Then that 'woman' you speak of is on a higher class than any of us. Maybe within the realm of Kensei-sama himself."

"That's quite a thought," said Loki as he raised his eyebrow, "Bordering treason one might say, to compare her to the great Kensei. Your loyalty to Ragnarok seems to be wavering."

Freya merely ignored him as she got back to practice again. The only reason she even joined Ragnarok was that she wanted to meet Kensei and learn from him. So far it had been a false lead, and if Loki was right, only Odin was learning from him. Berserker had no real interest and just wanted to fight others. And speaking of Odin, he had momentarily come back to tell them all he had a new Fist in line before leaving again. He didn't even have a discussion with them about the newcomer.

Maybe... it was time to visit her grandfather once more. As crazy as he seemed, she knew he was skilled with the staff. However, she would stick around Ragnarok for a while longer. She would at least fulfill her loyalties to the gang.

"Hmph, boring," sighed Loki as he turned around to leave, "But seriously, Odin's been slacking off. First, he gets a new Fist without even talking to us, and he's been letting Shinpaku running loose instead of taking care of them. We already have a new gang that's been muscling in our turf named Yami, and from some rumors, they have a whole group of masters that are about Kensei-sama's level. To be honest, I think you'd be the better leader Berserker."

On that note, Loki left with a smile on his face, feeling as though his seeds of doubt that he had just planted was working.

* * *

The next early morning, the birds were chirping as the sun was slowly rising. Near the river, the water could be heard running as squirrels from nearby trees were chattering. All was silent...

"UWAAAAA!" cried Kenichi as he ran for his life as usual for his morning run. He was wearing multiple statues weighing him down made by Akisame as well as dragging not only him and the tire but also Niijima who wanted to talk to Kenichi later.

"Faster!" shouted Akisame as he used his whip on Kenichi.

"Yea, I have some plans I want to talk to you about," whistled Niijima as he was sorting through files in his PDA.

Another scream broke through that did not come from Kenichi.

"Hahaha, still wearing that unmanly mustache Akisame-cchi!?" rang a voice

"That voice," muttered Akisame, "Only one man has that voice... James Shiba-cchi!"

"Takeda-senpai!" gasped Kenichi as he managed to get closer to Takeda, who was also running for his life while carrying his new boxing master.

"Hey, there how you doing!?" screamed Takeda as he kept running, "Right now, I'm regretting my decision! Owowow, I was joking master!"

"Hmph, you better be," grinned Shiba as he finished flicking his disciple's forehead, "Still living as frugal as ever Akisame-cchi!?"

"I pity your disciple for having you as a master," replied Akisame, "Kenichi, change to your highest gear!"

"We're accelerating too!" said Shiba as he yanked Takeda's ponytail, causing him to squawk in pain.

Kenichi began pulling ahead, much to Shiba's displeasure and was about to cheat when he noticed Niijima was there. Much as he liked to fight dirty, he wouldn't risk injuring someone who wasn't in the martial arts world, and especially that damn alien.

"Takeda!" shouted out Niijima, "Shinpaku meeting after school!"

"Ok!" shouted Takeda as he desperately tried to catch up to Kenichi, only to fall short.

"Don't worry my disciple," said Shiba, "I'll have you caught up to Kenichi in no time!"

'I don't know if that's possible,' gulped Takeda, but didn't voice it aloud.

* * *

The next day after mind-numbing schooling, Kenichi, Miu, Niijima, Takeda, Ukita, Siegfried, Thor, and Kisara all met up at Kisara's home base. This was of course where Miu's new kitty was kept along with several others. Siegfried had purchased a large playpen for the kittens to live in, along with food and water.

"I declare this meeting open!" declared Niijima. Most of the boys were paying attention while Miu and Kisara were busy playing with the kittens, though they kept their ears open.

"So what's this meeting about?" asked Ukita curiously.

"About what Ragnarok will do next," proclaimed Niijima, while Siegfried threw glitter behind him. "I've got solid evidence that Ryuto Asamiya, aka Odin, has found a new... Fifth Fist technically? Anyways, he's chosen a girl name Rimi Kokorone."

Kenichi and Miu blinked in surprise at that name, surprised that she would be showing up so early on, but kept quiet.

"And it seems that Odin has issued a challenge, one specific to our very own Assault Commander Shirahama Kenichi!" Niijima added as he raised a note for him.

"When the hell did you get that!?" shouted Kenichi.

"Loki delivered it to me," cackled Niijma, "Of course he tried to ambush me again, but my loyal Siegfried dealt with them."

"As I should," sang Siegfried while spinning.

Ignoring that fact for now, Kenichi quickly read the letter while the others crowded over his shoulder in interest.

"Looks like he wants to meet up at the old shop where we had our promise," said Kenichi as he finished, "And he wants me to come with one other person only if I want someone."

"I'll go," said Miu without letting anyone argue.

"You sure about that honey?" asked Takeda.

Miu's face booked no arguments, so it was decided.

"Alright, but everyone be on high alert," finished Niijima, "Loki may decide to bring things into his own hands."

"What about Hermit?" asked Thor, "Is he not part of Shinpaku?"

"He's already been notified," Niijima replied, "As for joining Shinpaku... it's a work in progress. But be careful, Berserker may be on the loose soon."

"Roger," they all replied. Most of the males gave the Shinpaku salute before leaving.

* * *

"Wow this place really hasn't changed," noted Kenichi as he and Miu arrived at the shop where they had all met.

"It really hasn't," agreed Miu, looking at the vending machine with the pins that they had exchanged.

"It's been 10 years, hasn't it," said Ryuto as he stepped forward alone.

"Ryuto," said Kenichi gently, his mind flashing back to what he looked like in the old timeline. This Ryuto still had working legs, black hair, and white sclera instead of red, before he used the forbidden technique.

"So you do remember me," smiled Ryuto, "I was afraid you'd somehow forgotten me... and our promise. I thought I'd have to buy a bunch of stuff and show you old tricks that I used to show you or make you chug two sodas at once."

"Yea... that'd be funny," Kenichi chuckled weakly, knowing that was exactly what had happened last time, "So do I call you Ryuto, or Odin of Ragnarok?"

"For now, Ryuto will do," replied Ryuto as he raised his hands to reveal he had no gloves on, "I'm not wearing the gloves. I know I sent that challenge, but I thought we could talk for a bit."

Eager to do so, the trio bought some snacks from the old lady who owned the dagashiya (old Japanese snack shop), and quickly sat down.

They talked about the past a little before getting down to the part about the promised pin.

"Ryuto...," said Kenichi quietly, knowing this was the breaking point, "Why did you learn martial arts in the first place."

"Isn't it obvious? When the girl showed us how she could take down four men at once despite being our age, it showed that strength is everything! Fighting is a way to prove one's supremacy over another! Didn't you promise with me that day to become stronger to show supremacy!?"

"You're wrong," said Kenichi, "I learned martial arts and strove to be stronger to enforce justice, to protect those in need. To stop people from bullying others, just like Miu did!"

"Miu?" interrogated Ryuto.

"That's me," said Miu as she bowed, "I was the girl in the shop the other day. My full name is Furinji Miu."

Ryuto's eyes narrowed as he saw a small flashback of kid Miu and Kenichi beside the teenagers.

"I learned to fight because I wanted to protect others," continued Miu, "I continue to do so to this day, and will always do so in the future."

Ryuto stood up, his back facing towards them as he seemed to shake with anger.

"Ryuto," said Kenichi softly, "Is it possible for Ragnarok and Shinpaku Alliance to come to a cease-fire? To stop these battles?"

"... What is your relationship with the girl Miu?" demanded Ryuto, his back still towards them.

"We live in the same dojo," answered Kenichi truthfully, "We are both disciples of Ryozanpaku, and most importantly, my girlfriend."

Miu blushed at that last statement, but Ryuto seemed to shake his body in anger even more.

"I see," said Ryuto as his hands went into his coat pockets, "Well then, I will give you the proper response as the leader of Ragnarok and as the First Fist of Ragnarok, Odin!"

Ryuto put on his gloves with the Roman numeral one and turned around, "I, Odin, reject your request! Now come and fight me, just as we promised those many years ago!"

Kenichi sighed as he stood up to face Ryuto... or rather Odin as he called himself now. Lightning seemed to clash between them as their eyes met. Just as the fight seemed inevitable...

"Hey, old grandma! We're robbing this store, so you better stay out of the way!"

The trio peeked inside the dagashiya to see three gang members taking random items. One could say that the three gang members looked exactly like the same trio who had robbed the place when they were four.

"Does the concept of time not exist in this place?" pondered Kenichi out loud.

"I thought that maybe she was a witch considering how nothing's changed, but I'm starting to think you have something," said Odin in surprise.

"Stop talking and stop them!" said Miu as she jumped ahead and kicked one of the thieves.

"Right!" said Kenichi as he quickly jumped in and tackled the other while Odin remained behind to observe the two of them.

* * *

The two easily subdued the thieves and called the police to arrest them. Amusing enough, it seemed to be the exact some policemen that arrested them last time.

As Kenichi and Miu returned to where Odin had been just to see him gone.

"Weird, where did he go?" Kenichi wondered out loud.

"I would've thought he'd stay longer," noted Miu.

"Kekeke, most likely he didn't want to get in trouble with the police," cackled Niijima, surprising the hell out of the two of them, so much that they almost kicked him in the face.

"When the hell did you get here!?" shouted Kenichi as he tried to calm his heart.

"Oh shortly after you guys were buying snacks," snickered Niijima,

"So why didn't Ryuto stay?" asked Miu.

"Think about it," explained Niijima, "Ragnarok, despite all its talk, is a thug gang famous for their disregard for the law. Cops can't really do much as most of them are basically hiding in plain sight. They can't tell who's in Ragnarok and who's not. Odin probably didn't want to risk the police looking into him at all, considering who his master is."

"I guess that makes sense," nodded Miu and Kenichi, "But how did those three gangsters happen to rob the store?"

"Oh I prodded them," said Niijima with absolutely no guilt, "I didn't need you and Odin fighting right away, especially since you'd kick his butt."

"Why would you-" hissed Kenichi, angry that Niijima might've harmed the old lady.

"Relax, the old lady was in on it," cackled Niijima, "The whole thing was just a ploy. See?"

Niijima pointed to the police car a short distance away to show the police letting go of the three 'gangsters', laughing as they did so before they went your separate ways.

"And you convinced them all this... how?" asked Miu.

"Oh I have a couple favors," Niijima claimed as he looked at his nails and huffed at them.

'That, and a cousin who I've learned has a whole book of blackmail stuff,' added Niijima mentally.

* * *

Somewhere in a private school, the said cousin didn't sneeze as if someone was talking to him. Instead, he was busy drilling his new... players into some football drills while shooting dual M-60s with real bullets at his slaves... teammates feet.

"Ya Ha, come on go faster! We're aiming for the Christmas Bowl!" shouted the demon... cough the human with spiky blonde hair and pointed ears just like Niijima.

* * *

A week later after that meeting during club hours, Miu went to her shoe locker just to see a letter inside it.

"Hoo, a love letter," said Chihiro Takashima, the former ace of the gymnastics club, much to her displeasure, "Just who is this admirer?"

She was, of course, thinking of ways to sabotage Miu. It was a shame that Koryu High didn't have a no-dating policy, otherwise, she would have used that against her. However, a love triangle might help her out.

"Don't know, but not interested," shrugged Miu, "I'm with Kenichi."

She was about to dispose of the letter when she noticed a small sticker of the Norse god Odin on his horse, and instantly knew it was from Ryuto. Quickly opening it, she saw that it was a request to meet him alone.

"I better go see what he wants," said Miu before quickly leaving. Kenichi would be spending some time at the gardening club today as well as catching up with some Shinpaku stuff with Niijima.

Minutes later, Miu had already switched to her school clothes and was at an abandoned warehouse.

"Come out," said Miu, "I know you're here."

"So we meet one more," said Odin as he walked out from the shadows with his gloves on, signifying this was regarding with Ragnarok.

"What do you want?" asked Miu.

"I'll keep this simple. Dump Kenichi and his little band of friends, join me as one of my Fists and my girlfriend," proposed Odin, "I can offer you more power than he can. I can prove that I am stronger than him! I will destroy him and anyone whoever blocks my way and my empire! I, who am blessed with a master who has taught me so many ways to destroy my enemies!"

He lifted his hands towards Miu, "Join me, as my queen. As Frigg is to Odin, so shall your new code name be."

Miu lifted her hand towards Odin, who grew excited at the prospect of one-upping Kenichi at a love life and others, only to frown as Miu slapped his hand away.

"You're crazy if you think I'd dump Kenichi for you on your whim," glared Miu. Even if she did know Ryuto, she only knew the one that had calmed down and looked over his own life to see what he did wrong. This one was still arrogant and cocky.

"Hmph, once you see what I can do, you'll be sure to dump him," said Odin as he moved his glasses up.

"Unlikely," replied Miu as she turned to leave.

"Aaaahhhhaaa," sighed Odin, "I didn't want to do this, but if this method doesn't work, I'll just use the other. Join me as one of my Fist, and I promise I'll leave Shinpaku Alliance alive. They can work as a subgroup directly under you. I won't even have you break up with Kenichi."

Of course, Odin planned to consume all of Miu's time so she wouldn't be able to spend it with Kenichi until that bridge broke. Miu, for the most part, ignored Odin and kept walking away.

"Wait!" shouted Odin as he racked up for another plan, "That fight back when we were four! You owe me for saving your life! I blew that whistle to distract that thug while notifying you. At the very least, go out with me to see if we are truly meant to be!"

Miu stopped for a second and took a deep breath before turning around to Odin and stomping towards him.

"I-" started Odin, but he never got to finish as Miu slapped him in the face. She slapped so hard that Odin's glasses went flying off as he himself fell to the ground.

"I'm going to make one thing straight," said Miu as she put her foot on Odin's groin, much to his discomfort, "I'm not interested in you. Not now, and not in the future. I'm with Kenichi."

She raised her foot and slammed her foot down. Dust appeared upon impact, and as it settled down, it could be seen that Miu didn't actually stomp his groin, just the ground right under him.

With that, Miu began to walk out.

"Why?" shouted Odin, "Is it because he met you before I did? Is it just because of the timing!?"

"Even if I met you first," stated Miu, "I wouldn't be interested in you at all. Your views of martial arts are completely opposite of mine. I learned it to protect others, just as Kenichi did. We just wouldn't work."

After that, Miu left the abandoned warehouse. Odin left later in anger as he decided to devote all resources to crushing Shinpaku. What Odin didn't notice was another pair of eyes watching him leave.

"Ryuto-sama... why don't you like at Rimi like that? Is it because of that girl? Rimi will prove she is stronger than her!"

* * *

"He did what!?" shouted Kenichi as he was practicing with the meteor hammer, just to hit himself on the head with the bag of sand at the end of his rope.

"Concentrate," scolded Akisame as he was carving another statue, "You can talk after training. Look, Shigure is already pouting."

The two teens turned to see that Shigure was indeed pouting while playing with Tochumaru.

"Sorry, Shigure-sensei!" apologized Kenichi while he began the routine once more.

"Kenichi-kun, you'll be training with me after," said the Elder as he joined in the conversation, "If your friend intends to use that forbidden technique, you'll want to be able to control his Ki flow so it doesn't implode on itself."

Kenichi gulped at this but nodded, earning another bump to his head via his own weapon.

* * *

"You know, it's very rare for you to ask for me to come personally," commented Ogata as he was sitting in front of Ryuto, his disciple while drinking some tea. Or in this case, Odin as he was wearing the gloves.

"I asked you for a reason," replied Odin, "I am going to crush... no, kill my opponent in my next battle. I ask you to be a witness as I go down the path as a martial artist."

"Ooh, that should be interesting," grinned Ogata, "Just one thing. You are sure your opponent is deeply immersed in the martial arts world? And not just taking some karate class at some third-rate dojo as a hobby?"

"Why would it matter?" scoffed Odin, "He humiliated me, gave me victory when I lost! He-"

Odin didn't get to finish as an overwhelming bloodlust filled the area, all coming from Ogata.

"Ryuto," said Ogata slowly, "The path of Satsujinken for martial arts is to be able to improve from fighting a worthy foe and killing them, learning from your opponent. Whomever the loser is will always have their techniques are imprinted on the winner. And I've told you, only kill those who come at you with the intent to kill, or, those who practice Katsujinken, wish to subdue you, and are talented enough."

Ogata breathed out slowly to release his anger, "I almost killed a child that had yet to open its eyes to the world. Thankfully, that was prevented. I would have had no regrets in killing the mother as she came at me with the intent to kill, but to kill a child who hasn't even made its choice... it would have been something I would hate to bear."

His eyes snapped back to Odin and continued, "I will watch your match, my disciple. But if he is just some thug who isn't immersed within the dark side of the martial arts world, I will stop you from going too far. He would not be the appropriate fodder for you to grow, do you understand? Send your other members to fight first if you are not sure. After all, the final boss shouldn't be the one to step forward first, right?"

Odin nodded in agreement as he sipped on his tea.

* * *

"Kekekekeke!" laughed Niijima as Miu told him what had happened with Odin, "No wonder my sources said that he was sporting a palm print on his face. He disappeared for two days before coming back to Ragnarok!"

"And who are your sources alien?" asked Natsu as he had overheard the conversation.

"Secret," replied Niijima before switching topics, "In any case, Ragnarok will be coming at us in full force soon."

"We'll be ready," said Kenichi.

"Leave me out of this," scoffed Natsu, "I'm not part of your alliance."

"You really think Odin would leave any loose ends?" interrogated Niijima, causing Natsu to growl but silently agree that he would be next.

"It would be in your best interest to just... ally yourself to us," continued Niijima, "No, listen to me! You don't have to be a member of the Shinpaku Alliance, but rather an outsider who works with us, just like Kisara's troops currently are. I'm sure you want Loki for yourself, right? And perhaps you'll fight one of the Big Three, to show just how much stronger you are now."

Niijima began to use the more subtle version of his Niijima Brainwash that he had developed, piling logic and goals in front of Natsu, making it hard to resist.

"Wait, what about Berserker?" asked Natsu as he managed to partially resist the brainwash, "I hear that Odin's planning to release him on you guys."

"Oh, him?" said Niijima with a scoff, "I've already prepared a trap for him, courtesy of Koga."

"What's Koga got to do with this?" asked Kenichi.

"Easy, he'll betray us to Ragnarok," answered Niijima, "I've already gone over his profile, and deduced that he will give up our location in favor for one of our more... endowed members."

The glance towards Miu was enough to know what he meant, causing Miu to cover her chest with her hands while Kenichi and Natsu turned their attention back to Niijima.

"Which is why I've leaked false information about a meeting with all the captains at one of my many bases," cackled Niijima, "I've already rigged the whole room with humiliating traps and cameras to record the whole moment."

'The pinnacle of evil stands before us,' sweatdropped all three martial artists as Niijima cackled away.

 _After 5pm same day_

"You sure it's here?" asked Loki as he and Berserker stood before a door.

"Positive," said Koga with glee.

"Hmph, I'll give the alien some credit," said Loki as he looked behind him. The door had been located in an alleyway with crates blocking both sides of the door so a glance down the alleyway made it impossible to know if a door was there.

"Whatever, I'm here to crush some bugs," said Berserker as he blew a bubble with his gum.

He lifted his leg, ready to kick down the door when Loki stopped him.

"Hold up, let's see if they're really there," said Loki as he pulled out a stethoscope from his jacket and pressed the head on the door. He could soon hear voices coming from the room inside.

"-need to deal with Ragnarok!"

"How do you-"

"They're inside," said Loki, "Go ahead."

Berserker kicked down the door and was about to step him when his instincts screamed at him.

"C'mon let's go!" said Koga, only for Berserker to grab him and hurl him inside while jumping back.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" asked Loki as two of his shadows went inside to get Koga.

The question was answered when an iron door slammed down in front of them.

"Hey what gives!" shouted Koga from inside.

"I can't see anything!" said another Shadow.

"Incoming!"

Berserker and Loki were treated with sounds of panic, something hitting flesh, a continuous cackling laughter, and crying for about half an hour.

The door slowly opened to reveal Koga and the two shadows flopping onto the floor in front of them with glue, feather, glitter, and a note on Koga's back.

 _Dear Ragnarok,_

 _I hope you enjoyed my special Room of Horror! I knew Koga would try to betray us to you. As a special bonus, I've taken the liberty of recording and taking photographs through an automatic system that shall be sent to my personal computer, where I will decide to spread it or not. However, if you are interested in fighting us, then I suggest a little fighting tournament in a week's time at the abandoned warehouse at the given address behind the paper. One on one fights. Long live Shinpaku Alliance!_

At the bottom of the paper was a picture of the Shinpaku Alliance logo.

"That bastard!" growled Loki as he gripped the paper.

"Hmm, this might be more fun than I thought," commented Berserker as he left.

Loki was left steaming before he realized that Berserker had effectively prevented both Fists from falling into the trap of humiliation with just gut instincts.

"I was right, he's certainly more suited to be the leader," grinned Loki as he began to make plans.

* * *

"So a week from today?" asked Kenichi.

"Yep," confirmed Niijima before turning to the other members of the Shinpaku Alliance.

They were actually at Kisara's base for their meeting, in order to trick Ragnarok. After all, who would think to even look at such an obvious spot? It was the first place Loki would think of and therefore he would dismiss it.

"I can't believe one of my own members would betray me like this," muttered Kisara as she laid back on her chair while petting one of the kittens.

"Koga has always been one who looked out more for himself," said Shiratori.

"Still leaves a bad taste," laughed Takeda, "Granted even during our trio group, I didn't like him much compared to Ukita."

"Alright enough," said Niijima, turning the subject back to the fight against Ragnarok, "We have a week to prepare. I took a look at the video and saw that only Koga and Loki's two shadows were humiliated, meaning Berserker and Loki are still up and running. Currently, Ragnarok still has only four Fists, possibly 5 if Rimi is officially inducted. Odin will want Kenichi, so that's one down."

"I'm taking Freya," stated Kisara, "I wanna prove to her that I can be as strong as her with my legs."

"Alright, two down," nodded Niijima, "Natsu, I suppose you want Loki?"

"It's Hermit," growled Natsu, leaning on the wall farthest away from them all, "And it's either him... or Berserker. I want to kick Loki's ass for what he did, but I know he's too weak for me."

"I'll take Loki then," smiled Takeda with his charming smile, "Shiba-sensei has been teaching me, and it'd be a great time to test out my skills."

"And you'll take on the new Fist if needed?" Niijima asked Miu.

"Only if it's needed," nodded Miu.

"Alright, everybody else, you're on grunt duty," announced Niijima, "Knowing Ragnarok, they'll be bringing in all their grunts in case things don't go their way."

"Bahahaha, I get to show off my combat sumo!" cheered Thor.

"Yea, yea, train hard," Niijima waved as he looked through his PDA, "And don't get caught alone. Berserker may still be on the prowl. If any of you guys see him, just run. Only the captains can take him on."

"Roger!" saluted Matsui and the others, knowing they weren't even close to the captain's levels.

* * *

Just a day later, while Niijima was walking home, he was ambushed by Loki and Berserker themselves.

"Well, well, what do the two Fists want with me?" pondered Niijima out loud without much worry, which was concerning to Loki. Berserker didn't really care.

"Quite simple, really," Loki boasted, "The annihilation of the Shinpaku Alliance. I can't believe I didn't see it, but in reality, you don't even know how to fight! Cut off the head and the whole thing is gone!"

"Congratulations for citing the obvious," teased Niijima, "Now then, are we still doing the whole tournament thing next week?"

"There won't be a tournament," chuckled Loki, "You'll be crushed before it can even happen. Berserker, take him out."

"This is boring," sighed Berserker, not even moving, "You want me to crush an insect that can't even fight?"

"Odin's orders," smirked Loki, "He wants Shinpaku crushed."

Berserker raised an eye and stared at Loki, "You sure you're not just lying now? You did that before."

"Feel free to call him to confirm," shrugged Loki, "He actually told me to try to crush Shinpaku before the whole tournament sham."

Berserker blew a bubble and turned towards Niijima with a bored look.

"Admittedly, when I first saw your picture, I thought someone had photoshopped it. Never thought someone with a face like that would be from this world. Now I'm looking at your weird face, I can say that it is not. Try to struggle a bit as I crush you."

Niijima smirked as he put his PDA in his shirt pocket, rolled up his school uniform sleeves, put his hands up in a boxing stance, and started hopping on the balls of his feet.

"Hoo, he's putting up resistance?" cackled Loki before he noticed the truth, "Wait he's just using it to run away!"

They just noticed that each hop Niijima took, he was getting further and further away from them.

Berserker dashed towards Niijima, causing him to abandon all pretense and run away. Loki decided to follow while carrying a camera in hope to record the humiliation.

Both found out that catching Niijima was much more difficult than they thought. The alien freak seemed to have an abundant amount of stamina and speed the defied logic. Even with Berserker taking shortcuts, Niijima was able to escape. Berserker had only managed to grab the uniform just for Niijima to slip out of it. Not only that, but as they were chasing, Niijima somehow found enough time to use his **Insta-trap** move, creating traps made of junks to delay his chasers.

"This is getting annoying," growled Loki as he tried to get more air into his tired lungs.

"I'm starting to have fun," grinned Berserker as he kicked some bricks away, "He's got no power or technique, but he's making me work for this."

When they hit another part of town, things started to get even stranger. Niijima's traps became more intricate, and it was harder to chase him down. Every time they turned a corner, they would see Niijima already turning at another corner.

"Is he getting faster!?" shouted Loki.

Berserker ignored Loki as he sped up, taking as many shortcuts as possible while leaving Loki behind. Suddenly, just as Berserker rounded another corner, Niijima disappeared from his sight.

"Shit, I lost him," muttered Berserker before walking back towards his home, "Well this Shinpaku alliance seems much more interesting now. I'm looking forward to crushing that cockroach in the tournament."

Just as he turned around a corner, he saw Loki running towards him just to suddenly fall into a pit trap. Seconds later, a bucket that had been placed on the building fell down and doused Loki with Matsui's super glue as well as feathers.

While Loki was cussing like mad, Berserker ignored him though he did kick a ladder down that he found, allowing Loki to climb up.

"Pesky alien," growled Loki as he climbed up, "We'll crush him tomorrow!"

"Iuno," shrugged Berserker, "I'm kind of interested in this little fighting tournament now. You can chase him all you want tomorrow. I'm going home to sleep and then talk to Odin about this tournament."

"You can't be serious!"

"It'll be amusing, at the least. These past few weeks have been just boring and with this, maybe I can get some excitement."

At that note, Berserker left a steaming Loki alone in his thoughts. The next day, Loki was ordered by Odin to leave the Shinpaku Alliance alone, as Ragnarok would be accepting this tournament to end it all.

* * *

"So are you all ready?" asked the Elder as Ryozanpaku prepared themselves to help out if Ogata intervened.

"It's time to see if we can change the flow of some things, or if some events are meant to stay the same," said Kenichi as he tied his belt over the Ryozanpaku uniform, with a minor addition of what seemed to be a small pouch bag attached on his waist. He was still wearing the karate/judo gi, Chinese Kung Fu pants, Muay Thai bandages, the chain mail made from Shigure, and finally the arm guards that was once worn by Fuurinji Saiga.

"I'm sure that when the dust settles, everything will be much better than last time," said Miu softly as she helped Kenichi buckle up the arm guards while clutching his hands, drawing strength from it.

"I hope... no I will change the flow of time to a better future," claimed Kenichi.

The masters could see the fire in Kenichi's eyes burn brightly and smiled.

* * *

Takeda was warming up on the punching bag while James Shiba was holding the punching bag.

"Ready for your big fight?" asked Shiba, "Give me a one-two finale!"

Takeda replied by doing so, ending it with his left fist stuck onto the punching bag.

"Good, maybe I'll come to see what's this all about," grinned Shiba as he tossed a towel to Takeda to wipe off his sweat.

"That would be cool," smiled Takeda as he put on his blue uniform, "I'm off!"

His hands were already in bandages to help protect his knuckles.

* * *

Natsu put on his Hermit gear, while a small change to his gloves. Instead of the Roman Numeral 7, it was now a star.

"Nii-chan, are you going off to fight?" asked Kaede as she saw the uniform.

"This time, I'm ending the fight so they won't endanger you once again," stated Hermit as he knelt down to his sister, "If I don't, there's a chance they'll aim for you again and that's a risk I'm not going to take."

Kaede pouted but nodded in understanding before raising her pinky up, "Then make a promise to me."

"Alright, what do you want?" said Natsu softly as he raised his pinky up, "A new toy? To go somewhere fun?"

"I want you to promise that you won't lose!" said Kaede forcefully, "That you'll never give up and win! And come back home to me safely!"

Natsu froze for a second before smiling at her, "Of course! That's a given."

* * *

"So it's time," said Kisara as she stretched her legs a bit, "Let's get going!"

"Right!" saluted Shiratori and the rest of the gang.

"My demon lord, your cape," said Siegfried as he held out a cape.

"Thank you, my loyal servant," said Niijima as he allowed Siegfried to put on his cloak, "Alright men, let's move out!"

"Osu!" shouted Thor, Ukita, and the others while Matsui proudly waved the Shinpaku flag, giving the Shinpaku salute.

* * *

All of Shinpaku members proudly marched towards the destined location, the abandoned warehouse at the same place as last time, though Niijima made sure all the gasoline drums were removed to another location. Since nobody had claimed them in the abandoned warehouse... Niijima had them removed for his personal use.

As soon as they arrived, they saw crowds of Ragnarok thugs with grins and cocky laughter. At the very end sat Odin on a makeshift throne on top of a junk pile, along with Berserker, Freya, Loki, and surprisingly Rimi. Standing near them were the Valkyries and Loki's Shadows.

"So you've come," declared Loki, "I was afraid you'd cower out."

"Did you like being dressed as a chicken?" fired back Niijima, causing Loki to anger.

"That's it, kill them all!" order Loki as the grunts yelled in reply, ready to charge. Before they could charge in, Odin shouted the order for all of them to halt.

"I will not have my personal duel with Kenichi be interfered by anybody," said Odin as his eyes narrowed, "Let them through to the middle of the slaughtering grounds."

A path was quickly made, with Ragnarok grunts jeering at them from every corner as they walked forward. As they made it to the clearing right before the throne, the path closed behind them.

"So then, who shall go first?" said Odin from his throne as he took a glance to a crane quite a bit of distance from them.

Sitting on top of the crane was Ogata himself, looking at the scene with curiosity. Though he noticed that the members of Ryozanpaku sitting at the river bank across from them all. All except for the Elder, who was curiously missing.

"Me," stated Kisara as she stepped forward, "I'm challenging you Freya!"

"You insolent betrayer!" shouted Ayazaki, "How dare you address Freya-sama like that!? Freya-sama, allow me to take on Kisara and deal the appropriate punishment for this betrayal!"

Before Ayazaki could pull out her tonfas, Freya raised her hand to stop her before walking forward, pulling her two sticks and combining them into her staff.

"Feels like my own pet coming back to bite me," commented Freya as she jumped down from the trash pile onto the flat floor, "In order to defeat a man, a woman must use a weapon. Is that something you find hard to accept?"

"Hmph, it's no longer about that," said Kisara as she got into a fighting stance, "I've said it before. I want to walk my own path and that's out of your shadow!"

With that statement, Kisara launched a barrage of Taekwondo kicks at Freya, who blocked them all with her staff.

"Hoo, not bad," praised Freya, "No wonder I chose you. But you're attacks are useless against me!"

Freya knocked one of the kicks away, forcing Kisara open before thrusting her staff into her stomach. Kisara coughed as she felt that impact before rolling away.

"Kisara-sama!" shouted Shiratori in fear.

"Why do you oppose me so strongly?" asked Freya as she readied her staff once more, "You used to be so loyal to me. Do you so want to be out of my shadow?"

"It's like Kenichi said," spat out Kisara as she got up, "I wanted to pursue my own ideals. He may be a fool that won't hit girls even if it kills him, but the way he stands up for his ideals, it makes me want to stand up for mine. I wanted out of the Valkyries, not because I saw weapons as cheating, but because I wanted to prove that I can become strong with my kicks! Just as kimono girl said, weapons are just extensions of your body, just like a fist to a karate practitioner or elbows to Muay Thai. My weapons and ideals are my kicks! I'm pursuing my own path!"

* * *

Back at the beach, Shigure blushed a little as the other masters praised her for her elegant speech.

* * *

Freya winced as she remembered Shigure's words, echoing in her brain before charging in anger. Kisara took advantage of this by deflecting Freya's staff, using the added momentum from pushing off the staff to spin so as to get behind Freya and knee her in the head with her left knee.

Freya blocked it, but before she could do anything else, Kisara spun once more and landed a kick to her back, sending her flying. Freya quickly recovered, slamming her pole into the ground to control her landing.

"This ain't a battle between Taekwondo or your staff. It's a battle between you and me!" said Kisara as she put her hand up, motioning Freya to come at her.

"Hmph, fine," stated Freya as she spun her staff before charging forward once more, sending swift strikes at Kisara.

Kisara was forced in a defensive position as she blocked them before closing the distance while trying to land a hammer kick. Freya easily blocked it, pushing it away before swinging her staff right into Kisara's face.

'Shit. Long, medium, and close range are all a bust,' thought Kisara as she took another hit to her arm. She swore she could hear her bone fracturing.

"Gotcha!" shouted Kisara as she predicted one move and tried to grab the staff.

Freya merely spun her staff, separating it into two, causing Kisara to lose hold of the staff and smacked her twice with it.

"Just as the kimono girl said, my staff is an extension of my body. I almost forgot all about that when I pursued power. But with this, you'll never defeat me," stated Freya as she swiftly put them back together, delivering a strike to the head.

'Powerful," thought Kisara, 'Is it impossible to defeat an armed opponent with just my bare hands and legs?'

As she was falling, her gaze landed on Miu and Kenichi. Her mind flashed back to how Miu easily defeated her opponents without a scratch while Kenichi, who didn't really do anything but dodge, had also come out without a scratch…. except from the eye poke from Miu.

Kisara stamped down on the ground hard, stopping herself from falling before glaring at Freya once more. It wasn't over yet!

"Still standing… impressive," noted Freya, "You've always been strong in that category."

Freya charged in, ready to deal the last strike to Kisara.

"Arara, seems like this is over," yawned Odin.

'If dairy cow can move like a feather in the wind… why can't I!?' pondered Kisara before her movement completely changed.

Everyone noticed this instantly as Kisara began to dodge all of Freya's attacks, her stiff movements seemingly gone. Miu smiled, knowing that Kisara was capable of this and more if she followed her own movements, as the ones she was using were still a bit stiff and unsuited for her. Still, it would be enough for this fight.

"Kisara, don't just think about dodging! You have to predict her movements as well!" advised Miu, "Don't think of kicks just like kicks, think of it like occupying her position!"

Kisara had no time to really think about it, instinctively dodging Freya's strike by jumping up. Suddenly, in her eyes, she could see Freya's domain, her area of attack, and noticed an opening at the top of her head.

Kisara quickly spun and launched an ax kick to Freya's head, but Freya managed to bring up her staff to block in time.

"I told you, this staff is my fist. There's no place I can't hit or defend," stated Freya as she began to push Kisara's leg off.

However, Kisara wasn't done yet.

"Then this is a battle between your fist and my legs!" shouted Kisara as she brought her other leg down

 _ **Double Hammer Kick!**_

Kisara's double kick broke Freya's staff in half while slamming the attack onto Freya's head.

"Freya-sama/Kisara!" said the voiced from both groups as both collapsed onto the ground, one from the attack and the other too focused on attacking that she forgot about the landing.

"Stay back," said Kisara as she got up, looking at Freya, "It's not over yet."

Freya slowly stood back up, both her hands holding the remains of her staff.

"Tch, I just made it more dangerous," said Kisara as she looked at the jagged staff, now capable of stabbing someone.

What happened next surprised her and everybody else except for the time travelers.

"I've lost," said Freya, throwing down her staff, "When a staff user's staff is broken... we must admit defeat."

"What do you mean!?" shouted Kisara, "You can still move!"

Miu picked up the remains of the staff before explaining that the way of the staff was not to kill and that if it became sharp, then it was no longer a staff. Freya confirmed her belief, saying that if she wanted to kill, she could easily just use a knife or a gun and that this was her ideals.

Before she could do anything else, a brick was thrown right into Freya's head, causing her to stumble once more.

"What a stupid ideal!" shouted Loki as he lifted another random junk to throw while descending down the junk pile, "Freya, you shouldn't put your ideals in front of Ragnarok's glorious vision! To create a lasting empire!"

"Hmph, not how I would've done it, but I will admit that you moved faster than what I wanted to do," sighed Odin to Loki, "Freya, the path to mastering martial arts is steeped with blood. Having such naive ideals will get you nowhere. Abandon that idea if you want to go further."

"I refuse," retorted Freya, "I may have joined Ragnarok, but only to seek guidance from Kensei, to which I never got to. I will never abandon the principle of the Kugatachi style!"

"So be it," said Loki at a whim, "Usually we hold private beating for losing to some other gang, but let's make this a public one. Beat her up!"

Freya glared as she managed to grab a lead pipe and held it up. The grunts seemed unwilling while the Valkyries fists tightened. The first to attack were Loki's shadows. Freya fended a few of them off until she made the mistake of blocking one of their attacks. The one attacking her used stun baton, causing the electricity to travel up the iron pipe and right into her.

"ARRGGG!" shouted Freya as she collapsed.

"Alright, let's shit stomp her!" shouted one of the Shadows until he got a kick to the head.

"Leave her alone!" shouted Kisara.

"Hmph, we'll take you on too," laughed another Shadow as the Ragnarok grunts began to gain confidence, "You must be tired from all that fightin-"

He didn't get to finish as a tonfa smacked him on the head, giving him a concussion.

"Valkyries, defensive formation!" shouted Ayazaki as the rest of the Valkyries made a perimeter with Freya and Kisara in the middle.

"Valkyries!" shouted Loki, "You dare defy Ragnarok's creed!?"

"Hmph," sneered Ayazaki, "We, the Valkyries, are Freya-sama's loyal members. We report to her directly, and if Ragnarok is going to hurt her, then you'll have to go through us!"

"Whatever, take them all down!" shouted Loki, "It's within my calculations!"

"I wonder if this is in your calculation," cackled Niijima as he snapped his fingers.

* * *

One of the grunts at the very back felt someone tap his shoulder. Before he could figure out who tapped him, he felt a palm strike slam into his stomach as he turned around.

 _ **Tanpa**_

He flew into a bunch of others gang members, knocked unconscious. Before anybody else could do anything, three people charged forward forcefully into where Shinpaku was.

"Ya ho, Renka is here!" waved Renka in her usual skimpy dress, along with Genson and Koan, "I came as soon as Niijima told me about this party!"

"Renka-sama, please be careful," said Koan as he kicked a thug away.

"What!?" shouted Loki, "My plans... are all falling apart due to random luck?"

"Kekeke, you haven't noticed, but you've been walking on the tracks I've set for you all this time," laughed Niijima while Loki growled in anger.

"This is getting tedious," yawned Odin as he stood up, "I'll end this now. Loki, for all your planning, you're quite useless as a strategist. After this is over, I'm eliminating your position as Ragnarok's strategist."

Loki's face twitched as he turned towards Odin, "Useless? And who's fault is it that our Eight Fists has turned into such a sad state?"

Loki turned towards the crowd while Number 20 Toko Amada grabbed a loudspeaker for Loki to use, "Everyone, listen up! Look at what is happening! Half of our fists defected from our organization, only to join our enemy without barely a fight! Freya of the Three Cards defeated! All this is a sure sign of failure from the lack of leadership by the First Fist, Odin! That's right, Ragnarok is dead!"

"Did Loki do this last time?" whispered Kenichi to Niijima.

"A little different, but basically the same," replied Niijima with a whisper, "It's not going to go his way, though. Just watch."

While the gang members of Ragnarok stood there confused, Loki whistled and summoned eight more people who he claimed were the new and more powerful Eight Fists, all trained by himself in secret. Loki took off his goggles before stating that he would be willing to be second in command if Berserker joined them.

In a surprise move that shocked a lot, Berserker moved to join them. Rimi was about to attack Berserker and deal punishment to those who betrayed her dear Ryuto when the man of the subject raised his hand to stop her.

Loki began to declare the formation of True Ragnarok, and all those that didn't join would be punished.

"Hey Loki," shouted Niijima, causing Loki to turn around towards him once more, "As a strategist, I have to say you severely miscalculated something."

"And what would that be alien?" snarked Loki.

"That miscalculation... is right next to you now," stated Niijima.

Before Loki could process that, Berserker backhanded him. Before the new Eight Fist could react, Berserker already laid waste to four of them at once.

"Berserker," coughed Loki as number 20 and his shadows quickly helped him up, "Didn't you want to join my side?"

"Join you?" scoffed Berserker, "I just came over so I would have a better shot at you!"

The rest of the new fists was easily knocked out by Berserker, who walked back to a now standing Odin.

"Loki," said Odin patronizingly, "I already saw through your plan for a while, but decided not to do anything, because Berserker is someone you can't control."

"Odin-sama you're so cool!" squealed Rimi.

"Berserker, don't you want to be number one!" shouted Loki in anger.

"Numbers don't interest me," yawned Berserker, "Plus, I'll only side with those I agree with."

"This farce has gone long enough," said Odin, "I will admit to one point that a few Fists left the company without even a note. But not for long. Everyone, surround the Shinpaku Alliance, Loki and his men, Freya and her Valkyries, the newcomers, and attack! But leave Kenichi alone, he is mine. I want to see him as his 'friends' are crushed."

With a commanding voice, the grunts all quickly left to obey his orders.

"I'll get the Chinese girl," said Berserker, "She looks like she could entertain me!"

With that note, Berserker jumped towards Renka, who saw Berserker coming and was prepared to fight when an arm swung towards Berserker. Seeing the strike, Berserker flipped away to see who had dared to attack him.

"Hermit," announced Odin from his throne, "Did you really think you could quit without consequences? And the same goes for you Siegfried, Thor, and Valkyrie."

"Odin-sama," whispered Rimi, "Rimi never understood why you call her Valkyrie and yet Freya's group is called Valkyries. Wouldn't that be confusing?"

Odin stood in silence for a second before coughing into his fist, "That'll be for a later time."

"Hmm, I guess you'll do," grinned Berserker, "I've wanted to fight you for a while."

"Don't you dare lose!" shouted Renka to Hermit, "The Ma family style resides in your fist, even if it is from Uncle Ba, and it would be shameful if you lost."

"You defeated me once," said Ryu as he punched a grunt, "If you lose, I'll keep taunting you."

"In your dreams," retorted Hermit as he prepared to fight Berserker.

"I won't go down here," shouted Loki as he began to run. However, as two of his front guards were trying to open a path, there was a voice along with a shining glint of teeth.

"Hey now, don't escape now."

Two swift punches knocked out the front guard to reveal Takeda with his fists up.

"The party's just getting started. Plus, I'm looking forward to beating you up for causing that injury of mine."

"Hmph, just because you joined Shinpaku and got your left arm back, you think you can defeat a Fist?" sneered Loki, "Just because I'm a strategist doesn't mean I don't know how to fight."

"We'll see about that," winked Takeda as he rushed forward.

* * *

 _Both fights take place simultaneously, first up Takeda vs. Loki_

Loki threw several punches which Takeda dodged with some head weaving, coming closer and closer to Loki. Soon as he got close enough, Takeda began fire off right jabs at Loki, who did his best to block or dodge them. Dodging was a better decision as for when one of Takeda's punches landed on Loki's forearm, Loki was blasted back a few meters while trying to shake off the pain.

Loki swore that his left arm felt broken and closed in on Takeda.

"Bet you're not used to throws!" cackled Loki as he grabbed Takeda's arm and tried to do an overhand throw.

"Guess again!" said Takeda as he smashed his fist right into the back of Loki's head.

"Arr, what the hell!?" shouted Loki in pain as he rolled away, "That's illegal in boxing!"

"Maybe in regular boxing, but I'm following underground boxing rules," grinned Takeda, "In that, as long as it's your knuckles that hit, anywhere is a target!"

"Fine, but if that's the case," sneered Loki, "Boxing is weak to attacks like these!"

Loki did a few high attacks before ducking to do a reverse sweep kick. Before he could complete it, Takeda stepped in without hesitation, lowering his whole waist before bringing it up along with his left fist for a ferocious uppercut. The hit landed before Loki's sweep kick could land, sending Loki flying up in the air while flipping.

"Loki-sama!" cried out number 20 while Shadows 2 and 3 quickly caught Loki before he fell to the ground.

"Hmph, that wasn't much of a challenge," sighed Takeda, "Then again, not many can say they have masters on par with Shiba-sensei."

Unknownst to him, something changed within Ukita. In the last timeline, Ukita more or less gave up on being able to catch up with everyone, and yet still bravely charged in for the sake of his friends. He was shown just how far he was behind during the DFOD tournament and chose to accept that and learn at his judo place at his own pace.

Now, Ukita could see Takeda pulling away with just a few weeks of training under a master and desperately wanted to catch up. Niijima had introduced Takeda to a boxing master, so surely there was a judo master that Niijima knew! If not, then he was willing to learn jujutsu!

* * *

 _Now for Hermit vs Berserker_

Berserker tried to do a high jump kick, just for Hermit to grab the foot and counter with a whip-like uppercut.

"Your movements are so slow I don't even need to dodge!" shouted Natsu as his counter landed.

"Oh, your movements have improved," noted Odin while Berserker stumbled back a bit.

"Don't think I'm still the same as before," stated Natsu, "I've been undergoing hellish training ever since I took my little sister to her doctor and I met my old master again!"

Berserker wiped off blood from his mouth and immediately tried to poke Natsu in the forehead as if to mark him and claim something. However, Hermit had been training and sparring with Kenichi a few times and secretly with Renka without anyone knowing. His reflexes were on par if not better than Berserker's.

Hermit caught the offending hand and twisted it without mercy to crack his wrist, but Berserker quickly spun with it to avoid such an injury.

"Not bad," laughed Berserker, "You're actually letting me have some fun!"

Berserker began to attack wildly, flipping through the air and attacking with just his instincts to fight.

"Damn, he has a good sense of his area," commented Genson as he punched another grunt, "Don't you lose brat!"

Berserker sent a right kick while still in the air while Hermit parried it. Before Hermit could do anything, he suddenly found himself caught between Berserker's leg, who quickly shifted his whole body with his waist as the fulcrum and threw Hermit into the air. Hermit landed on the ground feet first before attacking with his forearm aiming for Berserker's temple.

"Too slow, "commented Berserker before suddenly being hit in the back of his head by Hermit's two-step attack.

Wincing in pain, Berserker threw a left straight just for Hermit to dodge it and try to elbow his face. Berserker caught it, but was unprepared for Hermit to extend his arm out and punch him in the face, followed by a roundhouse fist while planting his leg behind Berserker to make him lose his footing.

"He's won!" shouted Matsui while waving the flag.

"No, not quite," admitted Niijima as he weaved through enemies trying to punch him.

Berserker quickly flipped over and performed a handstand on Hermit's shoulder. Hermit quickly tried to shake him off, only for Berserker to flip in the air and try to stomp his face. Hermit quickly rolled away, only to keep rolling as Berserker began to do back flips, trying to stomp Hermit's face.

"Are you scared of fighting!?" asked Berserker with a maniacal grin, "Everyone is bound to be! That's what it is to be normal! But compared to battling and losing, I'm more scared of being bored! Will you be like the others and bore me!?"

"Don't compare me to all those fake martial artists you fought," scoffed Hermit as he managed to get back up, "I'll defeat you!"

With a quick kick, he tripped Berserker and shoulder charged Berserker into the ground before quickly spinning to land an open palm strike on his neck.

 _ **Uryuu Banda**_

"I won't lose to someone who only fights as a hobby!" said Hermit as he kneed Berserker, "I made a promise that I would win! You, who has no stubbornness for victory! I was taught that losing was the same as dying, so I will never let my guard down! "

Before he could elbow Berserker to finish it, Berserker caught the offending elbow.

"Ara ara," said Odin, "Now you're in trouble."

 _ **Berserker Mode Activated!**_

"You're letting me have some fun!" roared Berserker as he threw a haymaker into Hermit, hitting his head..

"Shut up!" shouted Hermit as he recovered, only for Berserker to send a flurry of punches and kicks with no discernible pattern.

"His Ki, it's the same as mine, Dou Ki!" shouted Renka as she hurled two grunts away from her, "Pervert, be careful!"

"Shut up exhibitionist!" shouted Hermit back as he weathered the attacks, trying to find an opening before shifting his momentum to counter the barrage of attacks.

"Ho, then try this!" said Berserker as he suddenly turned his back towards Hermit.

This was a huge mistake on Berserker's part. In the past timeline, Hermit would've been surprised at this and would have taken the backwards kick Berserker was about to launch. But in this timeline, he had witnessed his own master fight his brother, another master of the same caliber. He had trained hellishly, sparred with someone stronger than him, including Ma Kensei when he was helping teach a move, and raised himself to a higher level.

Hermit stepped forward just as Berserker did a flip to kick Hermit in the head, and with his leg raised, fired a soccer kick right at Berserker's head while narrowly dodging the attack.

Berserker was stunned, but enough adrenaline was rushing through him that he got up quickly and began to attack with no pattern once more. However, he didn't notice his fist was slower than usual, allowing Hermit to charge through and break the momentum with a swing of both his arms. He got in close, hitting Berserker in his knee to force him to lose balance before catching another fist and twisting it behind his back.

"Give up, it's over," said Hermit.

"Aw come on, it's just getting fun!" shouted Berserker, only to twinge in pain as Hermit broke his elbow.

"Die!" shouted Berserk as he tried to kick Hermit and even attacked with his broken elbow.

"Sure talent can get you far," said Hermit as he dodged the attack, "Maybe even 100 parts of hard work can't overcome it."

Then Hermit began launching a series of attack that hit home each time, "But what about a thousand? Ten Thousand!? Martial arts can be passed down thousands of years ago to now! In the world of Martial Arts, in the end, Hardwork will overcome talent!"

Hermit ended the attack with an elbow to the chest before slamming a whip-like attack into Berserker's chest, sending him flying into the ground in front of Odin.

* * *

"My body... won't move," groaned Berserker as he tried to get up.

"Wow, he's quite durable," commented Renka, "Or maybe you're just weak."

"Shut it!" said Hermit as the two began to squabble again, causing much of the audience watching to sweatdrop.

"Don't ignore me!" shouted Berserker as he tried, again and again, to get up, just to fall, "What... is this feeling!?"

"It's called defeat," said Hermit as he put his hoodie back on.

"Damn, I didn't think he could win that well," said Thor as he launched someone flying with a palm thrust.

"Lalalalaaa that's the power of friendship and trust!" sang Siegfried as he countered someone with a spinning attack.

"Dammit he's a zombie!" cried out a grunt.

"Gahahahaha, look at that! Know the power of Hermit, one of Shinpaku Alliance captain!" said Niijima as Siegfried provided the background.

"Dammit, stop trying to include me into your damn alliance!" shouted Hermit, "I only came to fight Berserker! I never joined!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" shouted Berserker as he suddenly stood up once more, "Defeat... is a word that has never existed in my dictionary!"

Before he could do anything else, he began to fall back once more, only for Kenichi to catch him. Berserker tried to attack him, only for Kenichi to do nothing as a fist came flying towards his face. The fist stopped inches away from Kenichi as Berserker winced at all the damage he had taken.

"Defeat... is something I'm very familiar with," sighed Kenichi, "I used to live in defeat. But I understood that overcoming defeat is a way that one can become stronger! Accepting defeat can teach you more about yourself! You can look back to it and use it to improve yourself!"

"Hohoho, we have a philosopher," smiled Kensei from the riverbank, "Has he been spending more time with you Akisame?"

"Hardly. That sounds more like what Sakaki would say while drunk," commented Akisame.

"Hey, I heard that!" shouted Sakaki in anger while Apachai and Shigure continued watching. Nearby, James Shiba was brushing his mustache while cheering on for his disciple for ending the fight so easily.

As Kenichi continued to explain, Berserker sighed before finally accepting that he had been defeated. However, he noted that if defeat felt like this, then he had been defeated before without even fighting. His instincts had told him to avoid battling the said person. Before Berserker could tell Kenichi anything else, Kenichi grabbed him and moved him before blocking a seeping palm strike from Odin.

"Shirahama, there's no need to pretend to pity and defend the defeated," stated Odin, "Fighting is a holy act, where the winner can walk all over the loser in the end!"

"Stay back," said Kenichi as Odin walked towards the even lands, "This fight is mine."

Berserker could only nod and walk towards a junk pile to recover from his injuries. He didn't say anything, but just now, he felt the same feeling from Kenichi that he got from Odin when he defended him from the attack.

"This fight will be interesting," commented Berserker as he laid back.

* * *

 **Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! We're almost finished with the whole Ragnarok Arc!**

 **As I said, I've been busy with Destiny 2, with all the new stuff, light level, and iron banner. Aka salty banner because of how much salt you either consume or toss to other people. In short, excuses everywhere. Its just gonna get worst when KH3 finally comes out.**

 **That being said, I have already starting writing/visioned the fight between Odin and Kenichi. And for the most part... it ends up with Odin being shit stomped. Hey, like I said, Kenichi has years of training already ahead. Doesn't mean I'll make it easy for him, though.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yaa Chapter 10! Now a bit of warning, no matter how hard I thought, I ended up writing one where Ryuto gets his ass kicked. Which is inevetiable as Kenichi is a lot stronger than him. After a few different plans, I think I got it to work where Ryuto doesn't get too badly steam rolled while also showing off some of Kenichi's new skills! Oh well, onwards with the story!**

 **Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!**

 **This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve!**

 **Also, heads up in this chapter as there will be people talking in different languages. So by default, they speak Japanese. Anything like this:** _[Dialogue]_ **Means that the people are talking in a different language, such as English or French.**

* * *

Odin and Kenichi stared off at each other as the crowd began to stop fighting, more eager to watch this conflict.

"Ryuto, is there no way we can settle this without fighting?" asked Kenichi one more time.

"Hmph, such a naive fool," sneered Odin, "There can be no more banter between us. Just the holy act of fighting each other."

As Odin glared, he withdrew an old Yin Yang pin with scratches all over it. Kenichi took out his Yin Yang pin, all polished and clean. The difference between these two pins could easily be seen. As one, they both tossed it to Miu, who easily caught both of them.

"I expect to have the winner's pin when this fight is over," stated Odin as he raised his hands up.

"Ryuto...looks like in the end, the only way to get through your twisted mind is through violence," sighed Kenichi, "So be it. Take off your glasses. If I'm going to bend that twisted personality of yours back to shape, I'd rather do it without risking the chance of you going blind when I punch your face."

"Hahaha, such a foolish conjecture," laughed Odin, "But you'll never be able to touch me with my _**Seikuken**_ **!** "

Odin struck first, thinking he would end this fast. A palm thrust shot out so fast that most martial artists around his level wouldn't be able to dodge.

The palm strike that struck nothing but air.

"I've said it before," stated Kenichi, already face to face to Odin, invading his territory with ease, "Take them off."

Kenichi gently took off Odin's glasses, who was frozen in shock that he couldn't respond when Kenichi broke right through his _**Seikuken**_. Kenichi gently pushed Odin back with his right hand, his body shifting so his right leg was right behind Odin's legs, tripping him.

Odin fell on his butt as Kenichi took a step back, shocked at how easy he had fallen. The rest of Ragnarok was also in shock at their leader on his butt.

"Hey, I didn't even see that Kenichi kid move," muttered one grunt.

"I thought Odin's attack was fast, but he moved faster!"

"Oh geez, you don't think he'll lose?"

Odin quickly got back on his feet, anger starting to crawl up within him, before quickly being quelled. _**Seikuken**_ relied on a calm mind.

"Hoo you're faster than I thought," said Odin, "But you won't get through my defense again!"

Kenichi merely closed his eyes for a second before raising his arms, setting up his _**Seikuken**_ , to Odin's shock. The two began to approach each other once more, their _**Seikuken**_ starting to overlap each other before they began to fight once more.

Their fists crossed over, colliding against each other once more for several seconds.

"Hmm, a battle for territory," pondered Ogata from his crane, "I've trained Ryuto quite extensively on this technique, and his inner eye is much stronger than anyone within his disciple group. Though against this opponent who is a disciple of Ryozanpaku, I fear he may not win."

Indeed as the fight went on, Odin found himself losing territory in the fight, always having to move back to prevent himself from being overwhelmed.

'This can't be possible!' raged Odin mentally, 'I, who have been blessed with a master and pushed beyond my limits! And yet Kenichi is able to push me back! Still, I'm getting used to his pattern, now.'

"You surprised me with your mastery of this technique, but it's time I show you why I'm called Odin!" boasted Odin once more as he threw a left palm strike, predicting Kenichi would be at this spot.

The strike landed... if Kenichi had continued his attack. Instead, he had completely backed up, much to Odin's shock again. A second later, a sack of sand hit him right in the nose.

"Guess now would be a good time to test this out in actual combat," grinned Kenichi as he jerked back the meteor hammer. The sandbag he had tied to his waist was actually the end part of his meteor hammer. The rope had been loosely tied around his waist, covered slightly by his belt.

"Cheater! He's using a weapon!" said a random grunt.

Kenichi ignored that as he swung his meteor hammer a bit, looping over his leg before shooting it out toward Odin once more.

Odin was so unprepared for Kenichi to use such a weapon that he took several direct hits. Each time he thought Kenichi wouldn't attack, Kenichi would just kick the sand bag while spinning it, making it shoot right towards Odin. Or while retreating, jump up and fire it right towards him. It took Odin several times before finally getting used to the timing of the unique weapon and to dodge it.

"Hmph, so you tried to take advantage of the long range," sneered Odin as he began to dodge the attacks, "Though you might have been successful on your first few attacks, your inexperience with this weapons shows! That just means you're empty hand fist techniques are just as weak!"

Odin charged at Kenichi, dodging the projectile headed right towards his chest.

'Gotcha!' thought Odin as he closed in onto Kenichi's chest while his weapon was still far away, and tried to punch him.

Kenichi dodged the punch, his hands still grabbing the rope when he made a loop for Odin's fist to go through. Quickly tightening the rope, he had Odin's wrist trapped in the rope. Before Odin could react, Kenichi was already starting to spin, bringing Odin with him. Kenichi then threw Odin into the ground hard, causing some spit to fly out as the air in his lungs were forced out. Without even waiting, Kenichi quickly grabbed Odin's arm and moved it behind him while he was facing the ground. He held it in a lock while his leg prevented the other arm from interfering.

"It's over Ryuto," said Kenichi as Odin tried to struggle, but couldn't escape.

* * *

Most of the Ragnarok members were watching in shock at how easily Odin was subdued. Berserker couldn't help but rub his eyes to make sure what was happening wasn't an illusion. Kisara was helping Freya up, who stared at Kenichi in shock.

"Hahaha look at our Shinpaku Alliance Assault Commander, Shirahama Kenichi! He fought your leader Odin and easily took him out! This is the power of the Shinpaku Alliance!" cackled Niijima, "Shinpaku!"

Matsui and the rest of the original Shinpaku Alliance who joined during its creation all saluted with the Shinpaku salute joined in by Siegfried.

"I can't lose!" growled Odin as he began to struggle even more violently, "How can I lose to you! I, who was blessed with a sensei with amazing power!"

Kenichi was about to say something or end the fight when he heard Miu call out to him.

"Kenichi, look out!"

Kenichi quickly jumped back just in time as Rimi's dive kick rushed pass his head, scraping off some of his hair.

"Let go of Ryuto-sama!" yelled Rimi as she began to attack Kenichi with a series of kicks, who dodged them all. It wasn't until Miu tossed the badges to Niijima for safekeeping before going in, stopping one of Rimi's kicks with one of her own.

"You'll fight me instead," insisted Miu as the two locked eyes.

"Rimi will be happy with that!" shouted Rimi, "Rimi will show Ryuto-sama that Rimi is stronger than you! Then Ryuto will fall in love with Rimi and not you!"

She began to rain kicks and punches at Miu, who easily deflected them all.

As Kenichi quickly grabbed his meteor hammer and pulled it back, Odin was already standing up, his eyes bloodshot. Kenichi quickly put this meteor hammer away, knowing what was coming.

"I will not lose like this!" shouted Odin, "Strength is everything! Strength is what gathers people, force them to obey, and even destroy! True Martial Arts is to destroy your opponent with a cruel and uncaring fist!"

"You're wrong!" replied Kenichi, "That's just plain violence. Martial Arts is meant to protect others!"

"What a retarded creed," snorted Odin as he ripped his coat and shirt off, "You clearly had idiotic masters if they follow that creed. Let's put that to the test then! All forces, crush the Shinpaku Alliance and all other traitors!"

The gang members quickly obeyed, charging into the fray.

"Yaa, more fighting," cheered Renka as she performed a split kick and slammed two grunts away. She ended up landing right next to Hermit, who had knocked out another grunt, "Bet you I can knock out more people than you."

"You're on," replied Hermit as he charged in.

While the Valkyries maintained their defensive position around Freya, they were joined in by the Shinpaku Alliance to help out.

"Shinpaku slash!" cried Matsui, using his flagpole as a weapon.

"Kehehehe, go my loyal min-... friends! Protect your governor-general!" cackled Niijima.

* * *

As the two gangs clashed, Odin began to channel his ki in his body, both Sei and Dou ki. His body began to bulge as muscles hardened and expanded.

"Ryuto, don't!" shouted Kenichi as he noticed what Odin was doing, "Using both Sei and Dou together will just cripple your body, if not your mind too!"

"If I can kill you, then it's worth it!" shouted Odin, the sclera of his eyes changing from white to red. Odin gave a roar and charged towards Kenichi, who instantly put up his _**Seikuken**_. Odin's moving _**Seikuken**_ , his strikes empowered by Dou Ki, eventually shattered Kenichi's and landed several hits on him.

Ogata grinned as he began to take notes of _**Seidou Gouitsu**_ in action. It was a move he theorized but never attempted himself. Instead, he was happy that one of his students was doing it first so he could learn from it!

Kenichi coughed as he felt several bruises on his chest, but luckily no broken bones. If his masters' 'light punches' didn't break anything, he doubted Ryuto's attack would.

"Geez, your body feels like it's made of lead," said Odin before grinning, "But you can clearly see you're no match for me!"

Kenichi jumped away from Odin's smash, quickly hopping on some garbage piles before making it to the roof of a building, where he closed his eyes to concentrate.

"No point in running!" shouted Odin as he jumped up to the ceiling, "Or did you give up!?"

Kenichi merely continued to take deep breaths as Odin got closer and closer.

"Kenichi-kun!" shouted Takeda, Ukita, Siegfried, and Thor in worry.

"Shirahama!" shouted Hermit as he smacked another grunt down.

"Kenichi!" shouted Renka, clearly worried as she could tell the ki channels in Odin's body would destroy himself, but not before he dealt serious damage. Even she felt if she was going against Odin, she might take some serious damage.

Kenichi exhaled before opening his eyes, locking eyes with Odin as he reduced the barrier of his _**Seikuken**_ down to a thin layer around his body.

Kenichi had activated _**Ryusui Seikuken**_.

Odin's thrust had closed in, almost hitting Kenichi's face when he suddenly dodged it.

"Tch, just a fluke!" shouted Odin as he sent a barrage of strikes, still using the mobile _**Seikuken**_.

'Dammit why am I missing!' thought Odin as his eighth strike missed once more, 'Feels like my fists are being sucked into a void!'

* * *

Ogata, however, stood up in amazement and shock at what Kenichi was doing.

"That can't be? I've heard about this move, but to see it with my eyes. It's definitely Fuurinji Hayato's _**Ryusui Seikuken!**_ To think he would teach it to this boy! And that flow. He's keeping up with Ryuto despite _**Seidou Gouitsu**_ **!"**

As he witnessed the fight, he made up his mind. Quickly scaling down the crane, he rushed towards Ryuto and Kenichi.

"I can't let this good material escape for me! I'll take them both with me!" grinned Ogata.

Suddenly, he felt killing intent and blocked a kick aiming for his face, followed by two hand strikes from another direction. The strikes themselves couldn't be counted as a palm strike, thrust, or body blow, but something even more confusing.

"This style... I only know one style that uses this type of strike," muttered Ogata as he turned to face his two opponents, "And that killing intent. I know I've felt that somewhere. It's quite familiar. Isn't that the _**Tenchi Mushin Ryuu**_?"

"Been a long time, Isshinsai Ogata?" stated Mayu Tanaka, standing alongside with her husband Tsutomu Tanaka.

"Ah the daughter of Kai Mido, Tayu Mido. Or is it Tanaka now?" asked Ogata curiously.

"It's Tanaka," replied Mayu.

"You were planning something with those kids," said Tsutomu, "Whatever it is, it's not a master's place to interfere. Or did you conveniently forget that in your mad pursuit of martial arts?"

"Hmph, hardly. I wanted both of those two as my disciple. But if you're going to get in the way, I'll kill you both!"

The three masters stared at each other, preparing to fight when Ogata raised another question.

"Just for clearance... You're not pregnant again, are you? I'd really hate if I accidentally killed a child," asked Ogata tentatively, "Nor do I really want to make a child an orphan. I'd say you should know better, but since you did charge at me when you were pregnant..."

Mayu blushed crimson and was about to charge in when Tsutomu stopped her.

"Now, now, he raises a good point," said Tsutomu as his wife pouted, "I know we said we would take him down together, but we need to make sure Kairi still has someone. A child needs their mother more than a father."

"How about just not fighting and watching the match?" said Sakaki, suddenly standing next to the Tanakas.

Ogata suddenly found the rest of Ryozanpaku already surrounding him. Though he was still curious why the Elder wasn't nearby. Seeing as he was outnumbered and he knew he would not win, he obediently watched the continuing fight.

James Shiba was still at the shore, not bothering to intervene. It wasn't his disciple that Ogata was after, after all. As long as he didn't take his prize goose….. cough disciple, then he had no quarries. Though he did keep an eye out for him just in case.

* * *

"Why can't I hit you!?" shouted Odin in frustration as he missed once more. Most of the fighting had stopped just to see Kenichi dodging Odin's attack with frightening ease. Suddenly, Kenichi's moves seemed to flow along with Odin's move, as if knowing what he would do next.

"Die!" shouted Odin as he struck a dual palm strike at Kenichi's stomach, thinking he had finally gotten a good hit in. That thought died as Kenichi had managed to completely absorb the blow by bending his waist back, his hands and wrists catching Odin's wrists. Kenichi himself was bent over at a 60-degree angle, his body balancing himself by the heels. He had read his opponent's flow, combined his opponent's with his own, and now it was time for Ryuto to be overwhelmed by his flow!

Kenichi's eyes suddenly began to glow, not unlike the masters of martial arts when they released their Ki. Odin himself suddenly felt overwhelmed, being nearest to Kenichi.

'This feeling,' gasped Odin as he swore Kenichi suddenly became larger, 'It feels so similar to my master!'

* * *

"I call bullshit!" shouted Ogata in a manner unlike himself, "There is no way he is a disciple, no not even an expert class! He's already at a point that he could be called a master, already using _**Ki no Shouka**_!"

James Shiba, back at the shore, felt his cigarette fall from his mouth, his manly mustache now drooping in complete surprise. Now he knew why Takeda felt like it would be almost impossible to catch up to Kenichi. He was already within the realms of experts, possibly nearing Low Master Class. Still, that just meant more motivation for his disciple to catch up if someone younger than him was so strong.

"Well truth be told, he was at the first level, but when he started learning more about Ki, he suddenly flew right past _**Ki no Kaiho**_ ," stated Akisame, slightly brushing his mustache.

"So a prodigy," said Ogata, his brain telling him he desperately wanted Kenichi.

"Something like that," nodded Kensei, "Though in everything else, not so much."

That sent most of Ryozanpaku laughing as the other three stared in confusion, not understanding the joke.

"And people wondered why I didn't want to join Ryozanpaku," muttered Ogata under his breath. He didn't join not only because he believed in the killing fist, but he wanted to retain his sanity.

"Wait, what's he doing now?" asked Mayu suddenly, causing them all to snap their attention back to Kenichi.

* * *

 _ **Ryusui Strongest Combo 4**_

Using a mix of all the martial arts he learned, Kenichi began to land several hits onto Odin's body. A karate chop to the chest. A crane fist strike to the abdomen. An elbow strike to the body. A jiu jitsu toss, sending Odin into the air. Kenichi took three steps forward, his hands already up at chest height just as Odin's body fell in front of him.

 _ **Ryuusui Mubyoshi**_

Odin spat out blood as he was sent spiraling away, landing several times on the ceiling before being almost tossed off the ceiling entirely. Luckily, before he did, Kenichi managed to catch up too him and grab his hands before he fell.

"Ryuto-sama!" coughed Rimi, her black dress in shreds from Miu's sharp kicks and punches. Quite a few were ogling at her body, her clothes barely covering that pink slip on her chest.

"Don't get distracted!" lectured Miu as she launched Rimi into the air with a sharp vertical kick, rattling her brains.

Rimi didn't care as she used the momentum to allow her to escape and rush toward Kenichi, intent on hurting him. Kenichi quickly shifted his weight, moving Odin out of danger and into Rimi's awaiting hands when she saw Kenichi moving Odin towards her.

"You killed him, you monster!" cried Rimi as she saw Odin didn't move, "Oh wait, he's still breathing."

"This fight is over!" declared Kenichi as he walked towards the end of the ceiling, "Cease this fighting now!"

Seeing as Odin was defeated, most of the Ragnarok members either laid down their weapons or chose to flee.

"Hehehehe! That's the power of the Shinpaku Alliance!" shouted Niijima to the fleeing members, "Remember that well!"

"Well that ended," noted Sakaki, "So what are you planning to do now?"

Ogata remained silent for a bit before something dropped off his cape.

"Shit, cover your eyes!" shouted Sakaki, noticing just what Ogata had dropped.

A flashbang and smoke filled the area as the masters quickly took defensive positions. Ogata, however, wasn't going for a fight. Instead, he rushed towards to where Odin and Kenichi were. He was confident he could just grab the two and escape fast enough. He had a helicopter on hold just for moments like this. Just as he passed by a building, though, he saw the Elder just waiting there, holding a baby. The simple glance the two passed each other was enough for the Elder to convey his message. Ogata would not be taking Kenichi or he would intervene. And if he intervened, Ogata knew he would lose no matter what and would be unable to even take Odin. He wasn't delusional to think that he could take the Invincible Superman, even if he used _**Seidou Gouitsu**_ **.**

As Ogata landed next to Odin, Kenichi didn't seem too surprised to see him there. Ogata looked at Kenichi with a keen eye, very curious about Ryozanpaku's newest disciple. Getting a closer look now, he could see the foundations within the boy was huge, as if someone was building the foundations of a skyscraper with solid materials on solid ground, and that it was already 1/4th of the way built.

"Very curious," pondered Ogata loudly before picking Odin up, "You've won this fight this time."

"Where are you taking Ryuto-sama!?" demanded Rimi, screeching in his ears.

"I'm his master, and I'm taking him to recover," replied Ogata, putting a finger in his ears to make sure he didn't go deaf, "He took quite a beating from young..."

"Shirahama Kenichi," said Kenichi.

"Young Kenichi, not to mention he used _**Seidou Gouitsu**_ ," Ogata continued, "He may not be able to walk again."

"Take me with you then!" demanded Rimi, "I want to be with him when he wakes up!"

Ogata merely stared at Rimi before gesturing her to climb on his back.

"We'll see each other again for sure," grinned Ogata, "I can't wait to see you climb up to the ranks of masters. It'll be very interesting. As a reward for winning, let me just tell you something."

As the Tanaka family landed on the ceiling, along with Ryozanpaku's masters, Ogata gave out his warning.

"Don't think Ryozanpaku will always have the name 'the strongest'. Yami has begun to move."

With that, Ogata ran off into the distance, carrying Odin and Rimi.

"Tch, we'll get you next time!" cursed Mayu before turning to Kenichi, "So you're the newest disciple at Ryozanpaku!"

Kenichi had stiffened as he saw a perfectly healthy and happy Tsutomu standing next to Mayu, as did Miu. Both of them had witnessed Tsutomu's fall to Satsujinken, and then his last battle before being brutally killed by Ogata with an elbow strike to the head.

"Ah, we never introduced ourselves," panicked Tsutomu as he gave Kenichi a business card, "I'm Tsutomu Tanaka, and this is my wife Mayu Tanaka. We're both from the _**Tenchi Mushin Ryuu**_ school. Though we haven't quite opened for business yet."

"You know, if you're interested in expanding your repertoire of moves," whispered Mayu, "Come join our school. We could use someone like you."

"Now, now, you won't take our disciple from Ryozanpaku," chided the Elder as he appeared behind them all, carrying a baby girl in his hands. The baby was having fun playing with the Elder's beard.

"Come to papa Kairi!" exclaimed Tsutomu as he quickly plucked the baby out of the Elder's hands. While the parents cooed over their child, the Elder managed to position himself next to Miu and Kenichi.

"This... is the gift you two have brought them," said the Elder, using the his Obstructive Lung Voice to avoid being overheard, "A chance for a family to bring in new life."

Miu had to fight off crying tears and Kenichi smiled at the sight of the family.

"By the way, did it work?" asked the Elder.

"I think so," nodded Kenichi, "Each one of my attacks earlier helped clear out and separate the ki that was rubbing against each other. My last attack balanced the two clashing Kis. I don't know how effective my treatment is, but I hope it's enough."

The Elder could only nod in respect, knowing just how difficult it was to use both Ki sets at once, and even harder when trying to balance somebody else's.

"We can only hope for the best," offered the Elder.

"I trust you did it," whispered Miu, giving encouragement to Kenichi, "I believe in you."

Kenichi could only look to the distance at where his old friend Ryuto had gone. He hoped Ryuto would change for the better the next time they saw each other.

"Now this should be far enough," yawned Ogata as he put Odin on the ground, "Geez, you certainly took a beating."

* * *

"When will Ryuto-sama wake up?" begged Rimi.

"It might be days," replied Ogata, "His Ki network is in ruins. It'll take awhile."

While Ogata was about to check Odin's pulse, a hand grabbed his wrist.

"You're up already?" asked a shocked Ogata as Odin slowly opened his eyes.

"Ryuto, no Odin-sama," said Rimi, hastily correcting herself.

"It's Ryuto when I'm not wearing the gloves," corrected Ryuto, noticing his gloves were off, "Sensei, tell me the truth. That technique... you were using me as a guinea pig weren't you?"

"You noticed," grinned Ogata.

"I felt my body and my mind decaying the longer I used that technique," growled Ryuto, "I ignored it because I wanted to destroy Kenichi. What're the damages?"

"I have to check first," replied Ogata before shaking his hands off Ryuto's and checking his pulse and various parts of the body.

"Impossible," muttered Ogata as he finished his inspection, "That's impossible. You should've obtained more damage. Theoretically, you shouldn't be able to walk, your Ki ravaged thus turning your hair gray, and your eyes potentially damage, aside from the bruises you got during battle. And yet, the only side effect right now is just a ravaged Ki network and grounded into a wheelchair for now. Impossible... unless that kid is much more adept at _**Ki no Shouka**_ then I thought! Damn, I really want him now!"

"Explain," demanded Ryuto, hearing the chilling after effects of the technique he just used, "What is _**Ki no Shouka**_? I thought there was just Sei and Dou Ki. And why did it feel like I was suddenly fighting someone of your caliber?"

"There are only those two," nodded Ogata, deciding not to mention a few exceptions, "But there are levels of controlling your Ki. You're just skimming the first level, _**Ki no Hatsudo**_ , or invoking of Ki. But your friend there is already on the third and final level. Even people at master level class cannot utilize this as well as your rival. I might say he might even give me a run for my money, though his body and experience is nowhere close. But why would he heal you... unless... of course, he's Katsujinken."

"What does that mean?" asked Rimi.

"Ryozanpaku follows the creed of Katsujinken, a practice where a martial arts practitioner will not kill, even at the risk of their own life. I saw and heard your conversation during your fight. He knew, somehow, about this technique and its danger, whether it just be by glancing at your body or something else. So when he fought you, his last few attacks not only damaged you to knock you unconscious and ending the fight, but he managed to help balance your Ki network so as to mitigate the damage as much as possible," explained Ogata before howling in laughter, "Such an outrageous disciple Ryozanpaku is certainly raising! I'm more interested in how far he'll come!"

As a helicopter arrived for Ogata to take them all, Ogata promised to train them both as much as he could. Ryuto, however, couldn't help but think back to Kenichi. He could have completely dominated the fight early on. So why didn't he? Why risk his life to make sure he was alright?

As Ryuto pondered about this, a small note fell out of his pocket. Quickly grabbing it, he noticed the something written on it.

 _Because I'm your friend – Kenichi_

'Damn idiot,' scowled Ryuto before tossing the letter away. However, in his heart, something was planted deep down.

As Ogata lifted Ryuto up and placed him on the helicopter, Rimi volunteered to have Ryuto's head on her lap, despite her clothes falling apart. As Ryuto began to drift off to sleep, he told himself in his mind he certainly did not see those pink nipples that Rimi seemed to be purposely flashing him.

* * *

Everyone went back to their peaceful lives for the moment, back to training. Niijima had kept track of everyone from the disbanded Ragnarok, but Berserker after a few days suddenly disappeared. Unable to track him, Niijima put that aside, thinking he had gotten into Yomi. Loki, after a few conversations, became his personal detective and spy when Loki opened up his detective agency.

Meanwhile, back with the History's Strongest Disciple at Ryozanpaku...

"GYAAA!" cried Kenichi as he was forced on a treadmill while punching a wooden target. He was tied to a new contraption that should he miss, was too slow, or tripped, would pull him back into an iron board cackling with electricity, all self-powered by his own actions.

"You didn't think we'd really let you take it easy even after defeating Ragnarok did you?" chuckled Akisame as he flipped another page in his book. While he was reading, he was also strengthening his overall body with several Jizo weights he had made himself.

"With Ogata back with Yami, you can be sure they know all about you now," piped Kensei as he practiced against a wooden dummy usually used by Chinese martial artists.

"Most likely, they're going to push their own disciples to the extreme, or even send experts against you," added Sakaki as he kicked a steel girder, slightly denting it.

"Apapa, Apachai knows Agaard might just spar against you just for interest!" grinned Apachai as he juggled bowling balls with his knee.

Kenichi tripped at that statement and was pulled back into the iron board, getting shocked once more.

"Apachai!" scolded Miu as she came out with snacks, "Don't say such ominous things!"

"But... he's right...," said Shigure from the ceiling, "Yami will... not stay... still."

"Hmm, so we should plan this out," shrugged the Elder, "All in favor of the original plan, 'Deal with it when it comes!'?"

"Aye!" shouted all the masters as their eyes glowed in agreement.

"I hate you all so much," groaned Kenichi as he managed to pry himself off the board.

"Well, we do have some time before anything major come in," said Miu, "We fought Ragnarok two weeks earlier from the last timeline."

"Hello, Ryozanpaku!" shouted someone from the entrance.

Taking a peek outside, they all saw the Tanaka family had come to visit.

"Aww, who's a cute baby?" stated Miu, using baby talk as she was playing with Kairi Tanaka, Mayu and Tsutomu's daughter.

"So this is Ryozanpaku's newest disciple," smiled Mayu as Kenichi helped serve some tea, noticing that his whole body was still smoking, "Quite the prodigy you guys found. Not like my Tsutomu."

"Hmm I don't know," mused Tsutomu, "He kind of gives off the same vibe as me. I can tell he's in love with the master of the dojo's granddaughter. He feels like he was dunked into the martial arts world rather than slowly introduced into it."

"Yea... something like that," coughed Kenichi to the side, remembering his first underground field trip in the past timeline.

"You know, if you're ever interested in branching out a bit, take a visit to our dojo," suggested Mayu, "I know, you're a disciple of Ryozanpaku. But it wouldn't hurt since you're already learning a variety of styles."

"Hmm, how about a sparring match instead?" suggested the Elder, throwing Kenichi into the 'fire'. "I'm sure you're curious about just how skilled he is."

"Ooh, that would be fun!" stated Mayu with a smile, "I'll go up against him!"

"Now, now, knowing you, you won't hold back," said Tsutomu, "Even if he is able to use _**Ki no Shouka**_. Though he could teach us a bit in that department a little. But you have a lot more experience than him. How about I go up against him instead."

"Eh, good enough," shrugged Mayu as she sat back down while hugging her child, "Oh, are you hungry now? Here, let mommy feed you!"

"Honey, wait!" shouted Tsutomu as Mayu pulled up her shirt without hesitation, snapping her bra off to reveal...

Kenichi did not see anymore as Miu as poked his eyes. However, even that was too late as he saw those red tips.

Sakaki turned around in embarrassment while drinking his beer. Akisame remained unfazed as he was a doctor, and was used to the human body and did not ogle. Breastfeeding was just part of nature. Apachai didn't know what was happening and went off to go play with his ant friends. Kensei would've taken photos, but he was busy dodging shurikens from Shigure. The Elder merely coughed before deciding to move so as to block the view from Kensei.

"Sorry about that," apologized Tsutomu as he and Kenichi stood across from each other after Mayu finished breastfeeding Kairi.

"It's alright," said a dopey face Kenichi before shaking himself out of it. Tanaka was wearing glasses, but he knew, unlike Ryuto, Tanaka was more than capable of defending himself.

"Alright, let the match between Shirahama Kenichi and Tsutomu Tanaka begin!" declared the Elder, choosing to be the judge.

'Let's test him out,' thought Tsutomu.

 _ **Kazoe Nukite**_

Tsutomu launched a four finger jab towards Kenichi, part of a combo where it could void any defenses.

 _ **Shiraha Nagashi**_

Kenichi countered with a corkscrew punch, applying the anti-weapon attack. Tsutomu's attack slid along Kenichi's hand while he himself dodged the punch from Kenichi.

"Hoo, not bad," noted Mayu, "To able to deflect the first part of _**Kazoe Nukite**_ without leaving himself open to the next combo. But it doesn't look like he got away perfectly."

Indeed, Kenichi winced as his arm sent a wave of pain to his brain. It felt like he had been stabbed by a blade.

'He's much faster and stronger than the last time I sparred with him,' noted Kenichi, 'Being with his family certainly has made him happier and stronger. I can no longer see that uncertainty back in the last timeline.'

"Looks like I'll have to take this up a notch," smiled Tsutomu before going in again at blinding speed.

Kenichi immediately set up his _**Seikuken**_ , deflecting Tsutomu's attack before switching to _**Ryusui Seikuken**_ to continue blocking his attacks.

* * *

As the fight continued, Miu decided to approach Mayu.

"Hey, nice fight back there," said Mayu, "That girl really wasn't much a match against you, though. Oh, and call me Mayu."

"Mayu-san, I was hoping to ask you for a favor," said Miu earnestly.

"Well, then spit it out," smiled Mayu.

"I want to spar against you!" declared Miu.

"Well, I can't refuse such an eager request," grinned Mayu eagerly, "But let's do it after the men knock themselves out."

* * *

Back with Kenichi and Tsutomu, Kenichi found himself being pushed into a corner. This Tsutomu Tanaka was no longer in the expert class around this time but firmly entrenched in the Master Class. He ducked under a double neck chop from Tsutomu and tried to land a gut punch, only for Tsutomu to block it before kicking Kenichi in the head. Kenichi twisted his neck to neutralize the damage as much as possible while quickly scooting back, only for his back to hit a wall. Tsutomu was already capitalizing on this, intent on ending the match.

'Now or never!' thought Kenichi as he raised his hands up in the air. It was a move that he had attempted to use against Kajima as a counter. Except for this time, he was adding a whole new twist onto it. The Sei Ki that he had around his body dispersed, only to be suddenly replaced with Dou Ki. His whole body seemed to harden.

As Kenichi's hand began their descent, his attack was interrupted by an elbow to his liver and diaphragm, disrupting his concentration before a knockout blow to the head.

"Whew, that would've been scary," acknowledged Tsutomu as he wiped off some sweat, "But it's quite surprising the kid can switch Ki types. Though he needs more practice with Dou Ki if he wants to use it in battle. It took too long for him to channel it. Though you're not thinking of having him use both at once are you? Like that young kid did back at the abandoned warehouse?"

He gave a light glare to the Elder, who shook his head.

"I forbade Kenichi from ever doing so. Kenichi is mostly a Sei type user, but he learned Dou Ki to help his friend. That technique, _**Seidou Gouitsu,**_ is dangerous to one's self, even more so to an untrained body. Kenichi didn't want his friend disabled, so by learning how both Ki work and interact, he was able to help balance out his friend's Ki network. Though he may come up with a new Ki type like I did."

"So a direct disciple from you," chuckled Tsutomu, "But how did he know about _**Seidou Gouitsu**_?"

"That is a secret you'll have to learn some other time," said the Elder mysteriously, "But for now, let's watch how my granddaughter fares against your wife."

The two women bowed to each other and got into fighting position. As soon as the fight started, they clashed, fist against fist. Miu released her Dou Ki, going all out while Mayu merely smirked.

* * *

Kenichi slowly opened his eyes as he stared at the familiar wooden ceiling of Ryozanpaku once more. He remembered his fight against Tsutomu and a kick to the head that knocked him out. He managed to slowly lift his body out of the futon just to notice Miu with her head on his body. Kenichi frowned as he noticed her shoulders bruised and bandaged. Apparently, her spar had not been gentle either. He managed to maneuver himself and put Miu in the futon and was about to leave when a hand grabbed his wrist.

"Stay with me, please," whispered Miu. When she had a small nap from being smacked in the head from Mayu, she also had a nightmare. A dream where Kenichi ceased to exist, kidnapped by Yami. She knew it was a possibility with the timeline being changed. She thought of how Tsutomu, comparing the present to the past timeline, and how just different they were. A world without her boyfriend, her light in the darkness, terrified her. Kenichi was her first real friend, later best friend, before becoming special to her, one who helped her master her Dou Ki and repel the darkness.

Kenichi didn't give much of an argument, as he was still trying to fight off a headache. He crawled back into the futon with Miu, and the two cuddled each other to sleep.

* * *

Just outside the room, the Tanaka couple were doing their best to stop the Elder from bursting into the room to separate them. The rest of Ryozanpaku were also doing their best to help out. Kairi was left giggling on the floor with some toys. Tochumaru and Noir were left on guard duty with Kairi.

"Oh c'mon old man, it's not like they're doing anything naughty!" hissed Sakaki as he pulled on the Elder's arm, "They're just cuddling!"

"But that can easily lead to something else!" wailed the Elder as he managed to take another step forward. Quite frankly, they were all surprised Miu and Kenichi had not come out to investigate what was going on.

"You were just praising Kenichi at how loyal he was to Miu despite my own daughter's attempts at seduction," said Kensei, "You know you can trust the boy not to do anything stupid. And it's not like Miu can't defend herself."

"Apapa, Kenichi is a good person," added Apachai.

"Elder, don't be such a hypocrite!" reprimanded Mayu, causing the Elder to actually stop, "You stopped my father from interfering my dates with my Tsutomu. So why are you interfering with your own granddaughter's love life? Do you regret me getting with my husband?"

"Of course not," placated the Elder, "It's just that... well... I don't want to be a great-grandfather soon, considering your situation. I mean, I may have interfered a little too much in your case"

This actually caused both Mayu and Tsutomu to blush crimson at this.

"Well I'm sure they won't start that early," said Tsutomu, "I mean, they look like smart kids."

"What does that say about us?" pouted Mayu.

"Mayu, be honest, we weren't aiming for a baby so early," said Tsutomu, "In fact, you were the one who pushed me down and rode me throughout the night after drinking so much sake for being able to land a knockout hit on your father."

"Well you could've stopped me," said Mayu shyly, poking her fingers against each other.

"Mayu, dear, I could never stop you from getting what you want," smirked Tsutomu, "Your father and I could never refuse whatever you wanted. I did say no, but you just forced your way into my room before demanding satisfaction. You didn't even let me slip on protection, saying you didn't want anything in between us."

Mayu jabbed Tsutomu in the ribs for that comment, causing him to wince in pain.

"Hey, now, be careful," cautioned Akisame, "Tsutomu actually took a hit from our disciple during the spar. It would not bode well to aggravate it."

"Yea, your disciple has a strong kick," winced Tsutomu as he lifted his shirt to gingerly poke at the bruise on his ribs. Kenichi had managed to land a snap kick during their spar before being hit by Tanaka's _**Kazoe Nukite**_ two finger strike, "What about you Mayu? I saw you take some good hits."

"They were a bit shallow, but they were still solid hits," nodded Mayu as she touched her stomach and thighs, "Miu's getting close to being able to use _**Ki no Shouka**_ **.** She's just barely touching it now. These two kids are definitely prodigies. Even I didn't have nearly as much control of my Ki at 18 despite already being in the Master Class."

'Probably because those two are technically older than the both of you,' thought the members of Ryozanpaku.

Eventually, the Elder allowed the two to nap together, though Tochumaru and Noir were on look out duty for anything naughty.

After Tanaka family left, the Elder decided to ask Kenichi when they woke up, "Did you want to tell them about the truth and how you changed the future? They are grateful for me intervening, but I feel more of the credit should belong to you three."

Kenichi shook his head, "As long as they're happy, it's good enough. Maybe in the future, we'll let them know, but for now, leave it alone."

* * *

A week later, at a luxury cruise ship, Ogata stood at the dining room with one other person.

"Tenmon Li, welcome to Japan. I am Isshinsai Ogata. Let me hand you something before you enter Japan."

With a flick of his wrist, he sent a card flying towards the other man, who blocked it casually with a wine bottle that he was pouring into his wine glass to drink.

"Hoo, is this a license to kill?" asked Tenmon.

"Now, now, nothing like that," chuckled Ogata, "It's just one of Yami's passports."

"Hmm, alright then," smirked Tenmon, "Ryozanpaku, was it? That should be interesting. I'll have my disciple sent out to deal with theirs."

"Ah, that may not be a wise choice," said Ogata quickly, "No need for haste. I was hoping you would be willing to work with another group before assaulting Ryozanpaku."

"Hmph. I'm not sure why you would need another group, but I will listen," frowned Tenmon.

"Sparna, the leader of Yomi, is currently talking with a group of martial artists on my behalf who are from the Zanshin Taisha style. I was hoping for them to assault Ryozanpaku while you, yourself, personally take the disciple for me. His name is Shirahama Kenichi, and I wish to mold him to become an even better fighter."

"Hoo, ambitious, aren't you? Wanting to take him for yourself? He must be really talented to catch your eyes," said an amused Tenmon, "Very well, I will cooperate with this other group."

"Excellent," smiled Ogata, "It will take about another week before everything will be ready. In the meantime, you can always send your disciple out to train against other gang members to expand Yomi

* * *

."

 _A few days later_

"Oh, Sakaki, someone from the Japanese police department wants to see you," said Miu.

"Ah, a job," grinned Sakaki, "Have them meet me in my room."

As soon as the talks with the police, with Inspector Honmaki as the representative, was finished, Ryozanpaku's masters gathered in the meeting room once more.

"So should I take Kenichi with me?" asked Sakaki, "Apparently last time I did. Wouldn't hurt to take him again, you know, to prevent the whole... butter effect."

"That's the butterfly effect," corrected Akisame, "And I'm not so sure we should. The last time in the timeline, we did so to plunge Kenichi into this world. Now that he has, it's a bit pointless. Not only that, but we risk Kenichi's skill being known throughout the whole world. Yami may know a bit, but I would bet Ogata will be holding back on some details."

"Hm, and from what I've heard from the rumors, the assassin is Christopher Eclair. He might take an interest in Kenichi and steal him just to get at me for trying to bury him with the power shovel. Though it was his fault for trying to kill me," mused Sakaki, causing a few sweatdrops to come out.

"But another trip like this could strengthen him," offered Kensei, "We don't know when Yomi will attack."

"I say we should let Kenichi decide," stated the Elder as he opened the door, revealing Kenichi and Miu, "What do you think?"

"I want to go," said a resolved Kenichi, "We can't depend on the timeline for Yami's first attack to be the same day as last time. The more experience I can get, the better prepared I'll be."

While saying this, his legs were visibly shaking for them all to see.

"I'm going with him," declared Miu, "If I'm there, I might be able to draw some eyes away."

The Elder wanted to disagree, but a sharp look from Miu told him that this was her choice.

"Alright then," grinned Sakaki as he chopped a beer bottle's top away, "Looks like I'm bringing you two with me."

* * *

"Kenichi?" asked Miu as she wore her tight purple skin suit as usual, despite the fact that outlined her chest as well as her nipples. She never liked wearing any underwear, as they felt too constrictive. Something her grandfather told her that she shared with her mother.

"Yes?" asked Kenichi as he tied his belt.

"You sure you want to do this?" asked Miu, "Sakaki can easily take care of this mission himself. There's no point in putting yourself in more danger. Not to mention Yomi could attack at any moment. Raichi Li and Tenmon Li could attack Shinpaku while we're doing this, and we'd be unable to do anything. The Zanshin Ryu group might try as well."

"If it helps, you can always stay behind to look out for them," said Kenichi softly.

Miu shook her head, "I want to be with you. If I can help you, then it's worth it."

"I did discuss with Niijima about this before," smiled Kenichi, "He says that he already has several contingency plans ready and is prepared for them without us being here."

"That's good to hear," admitted Miu, "Hopefully we'll be back before then."

* * *

"Kenichi?" asked Miu once more when she, Sakaki, and Kenichi arrived at a mansion.

"Yes Miu, this happened before," sighed Kenichi.

"I guess I should be used to this," shrugged Miu, "Grandfather's reception to some places was quite similar to this."

They were currently surrounded by four men wielding swords while wearing a suit and sunglasses, along with varying tattoos and hairstyles.

 _[Who the hell are you guys?]_ questioned one of the guards, [ _We asked for an escort, and we get three unarmed people who call themselves martial artists.]_

 _[Hmph, if they are here to help, then we should test them! If they get beaten by us, then they're useless!]_ said another as he raised his sword up into the air.

 _[Wait!]_ said Kenichi, using English. With the help of Niijima, Miu, and later on Akisame, he was a bit more fluent in English now. He noted that English was more commonly used abroad, and decided to take some time to learn more about it. Not to mention some of the stories he read, like Shakespeare, were more commonly written in English, and there were a few translation errors when converted to Japanese.

 _[We are not your enemy!]_ continued Kenichi, [ _We were requested here by the Japanese Police!]_

 _[A likely story!]_ growled the guard, [ _Then prove to us you can fight Japanese!]_

 _[Guys, you should know something,]_ smirked Sakaki before suddenly lashing out, punching and kicking each bodyguard once, [ _You should've brought more men and swords.]_

"Sakaki, you should say that before you knock them out," lectured Miu.

"Not like it makes a difference," mumbled Kenichi before they heard someone clapping.

"Bravo, bravo," stated a man with a narrow face and combed back dirty blonde hair, "As expected of the famous 100-dan street brawler Shio Sakaki."

"If it isn't the famous weapons dealer Gauche Wynn," replied Sakaki, "Are these swords the best you could afford?"

He easily snapped one in half to show just how shoddy it was.

"Now, now, I'm merely a trader, operating in accordance with the law," smirked Gauche, "As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Minutes later, they were all in the dining room, hashing out the details of the bodyguard job. When asked about Miu and Kenichi, Sakaki waved it off, saying that they could take care of themselves. Just as they were about to leave, Kenichi whispered something into Sakaki's ears.

"Hoo, you know, I knew Christopher Eclair for a good while," mused Sakaki as they all paused, "His women that he surrounds himself with all use the same perfume as he does. Isn't that right, little spy?"

The woman acting as Gauche's assistant quickly stomped on her heel, allowing a knife to slide out of the platform below the toebox. She immediately tried to stab Gauche in the head, only for an object to suddenly slam into her ankle, giving the bodyguards next to Gauche time to tackle him to safety. The female spy glared at Kenichi, who had thrown the meteor hammer to interfere. Seeing as the cause was lost, she dove out of the window and began running away.

"Get her!" shouted Gauche as he managed to get back up.

"Forget it, she'll be long gone by the time your men can start moving," said Sakaki.

"Well then why don't you get her!?" shouted Gauche.

"I only agreed to be your bodyguard," glared Sakaki, "Not your dog. If you want someone to fetch, ask somebody else."

Sakaki allowed some of his Ki to leak out to reinforce his message, causing Gauche to nod nervously in agreement.

* * *

 _[So you were discovered?]_ said Christopher over a phone in French.

 _[Yes,]_ replied the spy, [ _The bodyguard he hired is Shio Sakaki, along with two children. Possibly disciples of his. He recognized me by my perfume.]_

 _[Ah yes, he would recognize it. Do not worry, my little butterfly, we have three full days to kill him. We have enough time as well as backup plans. Did you plant the tracer?]_ asked Christopher.

 _[Of course. It's in his personal pistol that he always carries with him. The fool would never realize it.]_ replied the spy.

* * *

 _Two days later_

Back at the Shinpaku headquarters, Niijima was already preparing the defenses around Kisara's headquarters. He had purchased it from her father and was already making plans for renovations and such. Kenichi and Miu were still with Sakaki on the bodyguard mission, and so far nothing seemed to be happening for them. However, Yomi had already begun their invasion.

Several gangs were being ruthlessly crushed by two females and one male, who had been codenamed Spark and Shadows. Spark was due to how flashy one female fought, who caused bright flashes of light when she scraped the ground. The other two were named Shadow due to the fact they seemed to fight in the dark.

Even Thor's combative Sumo group had been crushed, though Thor himself had not been there to fight.

"They'll be coming here soon," sighed Niijima as he gazed towards the sky, "I was hoping Kenichi and Miu would be finished with their little job soon, but no matter. I have contingency plans on the ready."

"Lalalala, do not worry my lord," sang Siegfried as he twirled around before serving him a drink, "I am sure whatever comes, we can handle ittt!"

Suddenly, the alarms inside the room began to ring. A second later, a video feed popped up to show three intruders rushing into the courtyard before starting a fight with Matsui and the others.

"All commanders and vice commanders, report to the courtyard immediately," shouted Niijima into a microphone, "Yomi's Spark and Shadows have come looking for a fight!"

'Looks like we'll have to deal with this without Kenichi,' thought Niijima as he too ran towards the courtyard.

* * *

 **Ta daa! Next chapter will be much longer. And in case some of you are wondering, I am combining the Kenichi ep OVA 1 into the story, despite it never being in the manga itself. And oh how the timeline differs with the defeat of Ragnarok so early! What will happen next, muhahahaha!**

 **Also trying to think of a way to get Ukita stronger. I bounced a few ideas with Third Fang, and I think I have my answer! Find out next time!**

 **And cheers to those who noticed my Eyeshield 21 reference!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Alright last chapter for this year! HOpe you guys enjoyed it. Anyways, onto the story!**

 **Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!**

 **This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve!**

 **Heads up, the Zanshin-ryu is not OC, but just characters that originated from the anime only and not the manga. I merely decided to include them in.**

 **Also, heads up in this chapter as there will be people talking in different languages. So by default, they speak Japanese. Anything like this:** _[Dialogue]_ **Means that the people are talking in a different language, such as English or French.**

* * *

"So far so good," said Kenichi quietly to Miu as they stood at attention while Sakaki's client, Gauche, was finishing up his business. They were at a rather luxurious dining hall at a tower, with Gauche eating his dinner while Sakaki sat across, chugging on some beer as usual. Much to their surprise, it was the same tower from the last timeline. They had suggested to Gauche to dine at another more secure location, but Gauche wouldn't have it. He wanted to dine right there.

"So, three days here and nothing happens," scoffed Gauche, "If I knew that, then I wouldn't have bothered hiring you."

"And you'd be dead by that assistant of yours that you didn't even know was a spy," replied Sakaki, causing Gauche to sputter.

A few more minutes passed before Sakaki stood up.

"Gotta take a leak," grumbled Sakaki as he left the room.

"So...," started off Gauche, looking at Miu with a rather lusty look, "You're a pretty one. Would you like to come with me? I can promise you that all your needs will be taken care of."

"No," replied Miu before Kenichi could even say anything.

"Surely there is something," pressed on Gauche.

Kenichi's fist started to tighten a bit until Miu put her hand over his.

"Everything I want is right here," replied Miu without hesitation, "Do not ask again or Sakaki-san will be most upset with you."

Gauche pouted but returned to his dinner. It was only seconds before Kenichi and Miu noticed someone coming towards the window from the outside.

"Duck!" shouted Kenichi as he quickly dove to cover Gauche while Miu kicked up the table to protect themselves.

The windows shattered as Christopher Eclair kicked it into pieces.

"Hoho, what perfect timing," smiled Christopher as he landed, "Shio-chan isn't here."

Four more of his ladies dropped into the building along with him, all dressed in a similar fashion to each other, a turquoise blouse, pants, and heeled shoes that had blades in them. Of course, Christopher had been monitoring Gauche for the past few days, trying to find the perfect opportunity to strike. When Sakaki had left, he had another person whom he bribed to lock the doors and place as many obstacles between Sakaki and this room.

"How did you find me?" shouted Gauche from behind the table in shock, "My location is supposed to be a secret!"

"Fufufu, you never bothered checking if you had a tracer on you. And why would the great Gauche-sama do so?" teased Christopher, "Well then, before I kill you, I suppose I'll have to get rid of Shio-chan's cute little company. Ladies... take them out."

With that, the four women with Christopher all stamped the ground with their heel once, forcing a blade to protrude out of their shoe platform.

"Save me!" begged Gauche to Kenichi and Miu, "I'll give you tons of money if you can beat them all up!"

Kenichi merely pushed him off and prepared to fight, along with Miu.

"You should know that's pointless," said Miu to Gauche, "We both fight for our own belief. We fight and follow it with all our might."

'Belief?' thought Gauche in puzzlement.

The four ladies split into two teams, each taking one person.

* * *

Miu easily dodged the bladed kicks before catching one of her opponent's legs. Before her opponent could react, Miu had already jumped and slammed a left knee to her opponent's head. Just a second later, Miu twisted her opponent's leg, forcing her to fall down before using the same leg to land an arc kick to the face, knocking her unconscious.

 _[Bitch!]_ her other opponent shouted while trying to stab her.

Miu jumped into air flipping before blocking the kick with her leg while simultaneously landing a blow to her other opponent's stomach. Her opponent coughed out spit upon impact and tried attack once more, but Miu jumped over her head and behind her back. The woman turned around just in time for Miu to flip in the air and slam a kick into her chin, rattling her brain.

 _ **Fuurinji Kyokaiyoku (Big Wave)**_

"Hoo, those are some good moves," noted Christopher with interest before turning over to the boy. So far, all he had done... was dodge. Granted, it was good dodging, considering the male didn't even have a scratch on himself or his clothes. His face was steep with concentration. Christopher pondered about this male until he opened his mouth.

Right then and there, a small face on his uvula was screaming, "Blades are scary! Blades are scary!"

 _[Stand still Japanese boy!]_ shouted one of his opponent in frustration.

Christopher could only facepalm at the sight of this while Miu giggled. Despite being much older now, he still had the same temperament, but that's why she loved him.

"Why isn't he doing anything!?" shouted Gauche from his hiding place.

"Because he holds true to his principles," replied Miu, "One thing Kenichi won't do is hit a girl."

"But they're clearly trying to kill him!" shouted Gauche in disbelief.

"It is a rather foolish principle in the underworld," admitted Miu, "But no matter what, he'll always follow it. That's my Kenichi for you."

'Principle?' pondered Gauche once more.

Suddenly, Kenichi finally reacted when one of his opponents overextended her fist. Kenichi used the rope from his meteor hammer to make a loop around her arm. He spun, taking her with him, and rolled on the ground before managing to pin her safely.

The other female tried to stab Kenichi in the head with a kick, but Kenichi dodged it while also managing to make another loop around the leg.

"Alright here I go!" shouted Kenichi before he went to work.

"Hey!"

"Stop that!"

"Where do you think you're... kyaaa!"

* * *

Seconds later, Kenichi stood back, wiping the sweat on his forehead off with his hand. The result? Both women were hilariously tied up together in awkward positions. Legs and arms were crossed over in positions that they couldn't summon any power to break out of it.

"Kenichi... how do you know how to tie girls up?" asked Miu with a frightening smile, wondering about his... preferences.

"Hmm? Oh from my How To series," smiled Kenichi, not noticing the horrifying smile or aura as he pulled out a book hidden in his vest.

It was titled: _How To Tie a Person Up So Well That They Can't Escape, Even If They Are Masters!_

'That's... oddly specific,' thought the majority of people who saw that book. Christopher was even tempted to see if it really lived up to its hype before shaking that thought off.

"Impressive you two," stated Christopher as he clapped his hands, "May I know your names and affiliation to Shio? Are you both his disciples?"

"Furinji Miu. I live at Ryozanpaku with my grandfather, Sakaki, and the others."

"Shirahama Kenichi. Ryozanpaku's disciple, and Sakaki-shisho's first disciple!"

Christopher raised his eyebrows much higher at this. He certainly wasn't expecting the granddaughter of the Invincible Superman Fuurinji Hayato, and the boy was certainly a pleasant surprise.

"Well, since you two have entertained me, I'll give you two a choice. Keep in mind I usually don't do this. Leave right now, and I won't kill you. I only need to kill Gauche Wynn, after all."

As if to emphasize this, he let out a huge KI blast at them, hoping to scare them off. If he was impressed before, he was astonished to see Kenichi and Miu fight it off, and even give off their own KI aura. Not to mention Christopher could tell Kenichi's KI control was already at Master level, while Miu wasn't too far behind.

"Hohoho, count me surprised!" laughed Christopher, "Now I'm really interested in you two! Perhaps I'll just steal you two away as my disciples instead! Want to learn Savate? Come on, I know you're interested. No? Then die."

Christopher charged forward, launching a barrage of kicks. Kenichi quickly started deflecting and dodging the attacks as best he could, using _**Ryusui Seikuken**_. Miu was flanking Christopher, using _**Rittoku no Kan**_ , exciting her spirit and pushing her 5 senses to their utmost limit.

"Not bad, you can take me on 45%," said Christopher, "What happens if I start increasing it though?"

Miu began to launch of barrage of attacks, forcing Christopher to dodge.

Christopher saw an opening in Miu's attack and was about to punch her stomach when his senses screamed at him to dodge. He quickly did so just in time to see a kick go right by his head from Kenichi.

"Haaaaaa!" Miu and Kenichi both yelled out as they began their offensive against Christopher.

'Hmm, these two work really well together,' thought Christopher as he dodged, 'Usually, two people of similar strength tend to clash with each other, but these two are working perfectly in sync. Then again, considering both of them are residents of Ryozanpaku, it's not too far-fetched that they fight against and with each other. Each one cover's the other's openings, making it harder to fight back.'

Then he began to see just what type of fighting style the two had.

'Karate... Muay Thai... Chinese Kenpo... Jiujitsu... ooh this attack seems to be one he made up,' thought Christopher as he analyzed Kenichi, 'Looks like he's taken a variety of martial arts.'

Then his mind turned towards the girl, 'Hmm, mixed martial artist here. She certainly must have learned that from her grandfather, taking in various styles and making her own. Ooh was that Pencak Silat? No.. a little different... Supreme Silat? Quite an intriguing style mixed in that.'

"I should stop playing around," declared Christopher before suddenly speeding up. He went right through the narrow gap in their attack and kicked Kenichi up into the air. Kenichi managed to guard with his left forearm, but the hit still went through.

He then spun and punched Miu in the stomach, sending her away before dashing to where Kenichi would be landing. Before he could jump up to kick him, Miu was already on him, sending a flurry of blows.

 _ **Furinji Chigiritsubame**_

Christopher blocked all the fast-paced attacks before kicking her away, this time even harder into the wall. Miu screamed as she coughed up blood.

"That was foolish," said Christopher as he quickly turned his attention back to Kenichi before freezing for a second.

Kenichi was no longer using Sei Ki, but Dou Ki, and it was surrounding his body. His arms were raised up as he managed to reorient himself in the air. He was using the same technique he attempted on Tsutomu, only to fail that time. This time, Christopher hadn't seen this coming until it was too late.

 _ **Shuto Muzandachi**_

It was a combination of the original _**Shuto Muzan**_ that he used against Satomi Kajima and a twist, incorporating Kajima's own move _**Shinogidachi**_ into it. It was a step below the original move as it carried less risk but was still effective in increasing his strike's power.

Christopher tried to hit him, but the counter landed first. Combining all his power as well as gravity, Kenichi slammed his attack into Christopher's chest, from collarbone to waist. Of course, Christopher tightened his muscles and released his Ki to fight against the attack.

The first thing Christopher noticed was that his collarbone was fractured and his ribs were bruised, maybe fractured. The second thing that followed after was that his chest was feeling rather numb. Like he couldn't move at all. His eyes widened as he quickly managed to spin on his left leg, swinging his right leg still up in the air and pushed Kenichi away from him, buying him some breathing room.

'What a scary technique,' Christopher thought as he tried to regain control of his body once more, 'Against any disciple class, that attack could seriously injure or even kill them. Expect class would have trouble with it. He only got me because I got distracted. Didn't expect Shio's disciple to have such a deadly technique. But knowing Shio's temperament, this boy probably never uses that technique on disciple level class.'

As Christopher stared at Kenichi, who was slowly rising up, the more interested he grew in him. The boy was certainly a prodigy, a one in perhaps trillion. He wanted to steal him and take him as his own disciple! Grinning at the thought, he decided to go at 100%.

Before anyone could do anything, the wall next to Christopher suddenly blew up, sending Christopher flying a bit.

"Chestooo!" yelled out Sakaki as he punched through the wall, "Now, I know you're not headhunting my disciple, right?"

"Shio you cheater!" shouted Christopher, "Using a surprise attack like that!"

"Says the man trying to poach disciples!" shouted Sakaki back, "Especially mine!"

This argument actually went on for several seconds before Sakaki decided to end things.

"You… how'd you get past all my obstacles!?" demanded Christopher.

"What, your measly guards and spike traps? I just took another path in. I would've come here earlier, but I was curious to see how my disciple would fare against you. After all, a mother lion breaks the legs of the prey to let her young practice hunting," smirked Sakaki, "I poked a hole in the wall to watch the whole fight.

'There it is, the logic of a beast,' thought Miu and Kenichi before they looked at the wall Sakaki had punched through just to see 4 other walls with giant holes in them.

"You brats okay?" asked Sakaki as he turned his head towards them.

"You're distracted!" shouted Christopher as he tried attack Sakaki, only for Sakaki to grab the offending leg.

"Looks like you're overconfident," growled Sakaki as his eyes began to glow, Ki pulsing through his body, "You just took a major hit from my disciple. I wouldn't be surprised if some of your bones were fractured. But you've done quite a number on my disciple, haven't you? Now I'm really mad!"

Christopher gulped as he knew what was coming. A second later, Sakaki punched him several times all over his body. A second later, he punched him through the wall. As if that wasn't enough punishment, Sakaki continued his fierce attack, leaving Christopher with no way to defend. Another wall collapsed as Sakaki kicked Christopher into it. Explosions could be seen in the distance even though no explosives were actually involved.

By that time, both Miu and Kenichi quickly ran and hugged Sakaki, hoping to stop him. It didn't matter that they knew Sakaki knew how to … questionably hold back, seeing him beat someone up so badly just made them react.

"Relax you two," said Sakaki as he slowly breathed out, "I may look angry, but I'm actually very calm right now."

'Liar!' thought both of them.

"This is... true martial arts!?" gaped Gauche, kneeling in disbelief. He had pulled out his gun but found it quite useless in the face of such power. And the boy and girl... despite being outclassed, they clearly stuck around to fight. Thoughts began to go through his head about principles and belief.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, at Shinpaku Headquarters_

The invaders, codenamed Spark and Shadows, were attacking. Three people, two female and one male, were wreaking havoc in the courtyards as Matsui and the others tried to attack them.

"We're looking Shirahama Kenichi!" shouted the female named Spark. She had a tight red suit on, along with a helmet and mask to hide her face and hair. Shin and elbow guards were on her, which she used to scrape the ground, creating sparks. The only reason most could tell this was a female was that she had a rather lithe but sturdy body, and the obvious chest and lack of a male organ in the tight suit. That, and her voice sounded female.

"If you do not bring him out, we will take a more... direct approach," declared the tall well-built man with scraggly black hair and a dark headband, who was wearing black ninja-like gear. A rather busty female next to him wore a similar outfit, except in red, showing that the two were in the same dojo. Both of them had chosen not to don a mask.

"Kekeke, if you're looking for him, he's not here," cackled Niijima as he entered the courtyard, "He's off on a mission right now."

"Then call him here," declared the male, "Otherwise you will all suffer the consequences."

"Now, now, there's no need for that," replied Niijima, "Frankly, I doubt you could even scratch him, much less fight him."

That rankled all three of their nerves. A weird alien-looking boy who seemed to have no real martial arts training was judging them too weak to fight Kenichi. Ogata had told them not to fight Kenichi if possible and to leave it to their masters, but each one of their masters privately told them to fight him if possible to show just who was the strongest. Their own pride demanded it.

"Why don't we make a deal?" asked Niijima, knowing he had them hooked, "You beat three of Shinpaku's commanders, and I'll get Kenichi here."

"Deal!" shouted the male as he got into a fighting stance, "Who's going to fight?"

Niijima glanced at commanders before making an easy decision, "Kisara, you take Spark. Takeda, you're taking male Shadow, Siegfried, with female Shadow."

The groups were quickly made, each one facing their opponent.

"I think it's obvious to say this, but don't hold back," whispered Niijima to his commanders, "Kisara, don't underestimate your opponent."

Feeling a bit angry at this advice being aimed at her, she growled as she faced Sparks.

"Yo, can I get a name? I'm Takeda Ikki," said Takeda as he put up his fists.

"Those who are prepared to die tomorrow need no names," replied the opponent as he charged in, "Just know you will die to the Zashin Taisha-ryuu!"

"Lalalala! Come, and let us battle!" sang Siegfried, "Let the glorious song of my master fill you! I can sense darkness in that heart of yours!"

"Hmph, what a weird person," said the female as she raised her fist, "This'll be fast."

"Hmph, so I get to fight the other female," said Kisara, "You got a name? Or will I be calling you Spark the whole time."

"... Raichi Li," replied the female, "It'll be the last name you'll know before you die."

"Ooh, ominous," Kisara shot back, "Nanjo Kisara. It'll be the last name you remember before I knock you the fuck out."

* * *

 _Same deal, takes place all at once_

Takeda began weaving towards his opponent, dodging fists that were sent his way while returning with right jabs. So far, there had been no clean hits between them.

"Not bad," complimented Takeda as he dodged a kick.

"Hmph. For a low target, you're not too horrible," replied the male as he parried a jab before kneeing Takeda in the chest. Takeda managed to close his forearms together to block but noticed when his guard went up that his opponent's leg wasn't retreating. Rather it was turning his knee attack into an upward kick.

'Shit!' thought Takeda as he tried to pull his forearms back down, but it was too late. His opponent's kick landed in his stomach.

* * *

'What the hell is with this person!?' thought the female as Siegfried continued to… sing while attacking. The objective of the Zashin Taisha-ryuu that she specialized in was to break her opponent's guard and slam them with another attack before they could get their guard up. Siegfried, however, counteracted this with his counter style by rotating along his opponent's attack rather than blocking.

"Lalala! Having trouble with my style?" asked Siegfried as he rotated away from a kick and countered with a roundhouse punch.

"Don't think I'm limited to just one style of attack!" shouted the female as she blocked it before going to grapple him, "If I grapple you, then you'll have no way to defend yourself!"

* * *

Kisara launched a kick first, just for Raichi to duck under and try to stab Kisara with a thrust. Kisara barely dodged it, but her shirt was caught in the thrust before Raichi pulled away, ripping her shirt off to reveal a sports bra.

"Don't look you guys!" shouted Ukita as his hands started crushing Kamiko's head to block the view.

Kisara covered her chest in embarrassment before noticing Raichi touching her own chest, as if comparing something before laughing at her. A choju giga cat waltzed by Kisara as she processed this before she roared in anger.

"You bitch!" roared Kisara as she uncrossed her arms, uncaring about her current state of dress, "I'll kill you!"

"Kisara-sama! Please remain calm!" called out Shiratori, "She's just trying to get a psychological edge!"

Kisara responded by launching a barrage of kicks with just her right leg, forcing Raichi to jump.

"Gotcha!" shouted Kisara as she flipped into the air, sending out her left leg to kick. Raichi quickly blocked this, just to find out that it was a trap.

 _ **Double Tornado Kick**_

Kisara's right leg slammed into her face, sending her into the pavement.

"Ha, you weren't that hard were you?" taunted Kisara as she landed, "I don't care if you're a group of selected martial artists. In the end, the one who's still standing is the stronger one."

Kisara flipped her off as she finished her statement. Raichi slowly got up before approaching Kisara once more, stumbling at each step.

Kisara sighed before commenting, "Hey, now, I'll recognize your stubbornness, but it's over."

"Kisara, dodge!" snapped Niijima.

Kisara quickly jumped backward, a bit shocked at Niijima's prompt command and followed his order without arguing. A second later, Raichi's hand struck right where Kisara's head would have been. Judging by the wind Kisara felt from the strike, she knew that would've have hurt and possibly disabled her a bit.

* * *

Up on the building looking down at them all stood Tenmon Li. He was responsible for the three Yomi disciples that were currently fighting as well as the one who would personally take Kenichi. When he heard Kenichi was currently busy on other business, he was tempted to just have them retreat. Instead, he decided to watch the situation unfold. Currently, the Zanshin Taisha-ryuu male user, Kurando Yakabe, was dominating against the boxer. The female user, Tsukasa Yakabe, seemed to be having trouble against the one called Siegfried. Even with grapples, the man would somehow slip out of them or spin too fast that she couldn't get a grip.

Lastly, his own daughter was breaking out Zui Quan, or drunken fist. He was surprised when Kisara dodged the attack, but even more so that the one that seemed to have no real martial arts training was able to see through the deception.

"Seems like the leader is more familiar with identifying and strategizing," murmured Tenmonn, "He has some good eyes."

The rest of the Zanshin Taisha-ryuu decided it was a brilliant idea to attack Ryozanpaku and try to claim the strongest for themselves. Tenmon scoffed at the idea, calling them fools in his mind. If it was so easy, then Yami would have done it long ago. Not only did he know the master of all Chinese martial arts, Ma Kensei, resided there, but there were other grandmasters in there. And the one to avoid most of all was the Invincible Superman himself, Furinji Hayato. Tenmon had no doubt they would be completely wiped out and had opted to supervise instead.

* * *

"Wait, time out!" shouted Takeda after taking numerous hits.

Kurando actually paused in surprise at this before replying, "What, are you giving up?"

"No, I need to take these damn restraints off!" said Takeda with a serious tone as he took off his shirt to reveal a full-body restraint, "I can't fight in them that well!"

'So that's why some of my hits felt weird,' thought Kurando before speaking, "Hmph, no matter. The results will still be the same!"

"We'll see," grinned Takeda as he snapped off his restraints, letting them fall to the ground, "Round 2!"

Kurando threw a right straight, just for it to clash right into Takeda's left straight. Seconds later, Kurando's straight was completely overpowered, blowing his arm back and leaving him open.

'Strong!' thought Kurando before a right upper slammed into his stomach.

* * *

"Finally got you!" shouted Tsukasa as she maneuvered herself around Siegfried before trying to throw him into the ground. She planned to punch Siegfried in the throat right after, ending this fight. Siegfried, however, had other plans. Right before Tsukasa could let go after throwing him, Siegfried grabbed her wrists during the momentum, dragging her with him.

 _ **Nirvana No Canon, Throw Plus!**_

Siegfried spun and counter threw Tsukasa into the ground, causing spit to come out of her mouth from the throw. She quickly rolled away when Siegfried tried to elbow drop her while calling out " _ **Accent Drop!"**_

* * *

Kisara and Raichi were fighting in rather even terms. Kisara, after the match against Ragnarok, pitted herself against Freya and the Valkyries a few more times to train herself. Even though Freya said she had lost, Kisara didn't feel like she had won either. She didn't win with her moves, but rather copying Miu. To her, it felt like Miu had beaten Freya instead. So she would challenge Freya time and time again. Freya didn't seem to mind, as this gave her the chance to improve herself. The Valkyries were eager as well, mainly because they didn't get the chance to beat Kisara up last time. They still felt Kisara had betrayed the Valkyries and Freya when she left to form her own group, despite Freya saving her.

Back into the fight, Kisara launched a kick to which Raichi ducked under before grabbing the leg and pushing up, causing Kisara to lose her balance before taking an elbow to the ribs. Coughing in pain, she tried to thrust kick Raichi away, but Raichi knocked the kick away with a sweeping kick, followed by another sweeping kick.

Kisara jumped away, just for Raichi to suddenly flip and try to land an ax kick to Kisara's stomach. Kisara, who's reaction was much faster thanks to all that training, spun lashed her right leg out, meeting the kick head-on with her own.

The result?

Kisara and Raichi's kick ended in a draw, forcing Raichi to land on her back while Kisara landed on her side.

* * *

"How did they get so strong?" sputtered Ukita as he witnessed all three fights, "I know Takeda has a master, but Siegfried and Kisara seemed to have improved!"

"Kisara has been training with Freya and the Valkyries," replied Niijima, "She's basically my envoy to bring them over to the Shinpaku Alliance."

"Then what about Siegfried!" said Ukita.

"Oh that's easy. I found him a master," replied Niijima.

"What? When?"

"Lalala I shall explain!" sang Siegfried as he spun and knocked Tsukasa unconscious with a well placed blow to the temple, "My lord once asked me if I wanted to improveeeee! I told him that I feltttt that my master was in Tibetttt! He then surprised me and showedd me my masterrr! I have never been in such awe of such a wise lorddd!"

"Who is?" asked Ukita.

"A row of Tibetan prayer wheels," replied Niijima, "and some Tibetan prayer chants on recording and a big rock for him."

"How does that even work!?" shouted Ukita, "That's not even alive!"

"It was when my lord spun the wheellll! That I understoodddd! That these wheels were the master I was looking for! For they possessed the knowledge of the martial arts I wanted to master!"

"That's bullshit!" called out Kisara from her fight.

"So that explains those weird chants and spinning I heard," chimed in Takeda as he launched a cross counter against Kurando. He took in the new information in stride, giving a sparklilng smile as he did so.

"Indeed! I began spinning on that rock, and continued as long as I could! I would've gone straight for fifteen days and kept continuing if this battle hadn't happened!" sang Siegfried as he began to write in some musical compositions in his notebook.

"Well since Siegfried ended his fight, let's end ours!" smirked Takeda as he ran forward.

Kurando gritted his teeth as he looked at a now prone Tsukasa, worried for his sister. He charged forward, agreeing this fight needed to be over. He feinted a punch before closing in, grabbing Takeda in a hold.

"You can't punch anymore this close can you, boxer!" shouted Kurando as he tried to crush Takeda with a bear hug, before trying to lift him for a throw, "Boxing is a sport that has no place in the world of martial arts with its limitations of using their fist only!"

"Hmph, and yet my master was exalted for using a gentleman's sport," replied Takeda as he shifted his left hand close to Kurando's chest, exactly 10 centimeters apart.

'What can he do with such little space?' thought Kurando before getting a painful answer.

10 centimeters was more than enough space for Takeda to shift his whole body and punch Kurando in the ribs, fracturing them. Kurando was forced to let go due to the pain, which he immediately tried to rectify. However, it was too late. Takeda used this opening and fired a left straight, right into Kurando's head knocking him down. The only reason he wasn't unconscious was his desire to make sure his sister was safe.

'This isn't good,' thought Raichi as she noticed she was the last one still standing. If the other two decided to join in the fight, she would lose. She was already having some trouble with Kisara, though she knew if the fight kept continuing she would win. However, time was no longer her friend. The one named Siegfried was curiously more focused on writing musical compositions, though.

"Don't get distracted," snapped Kisara as she used a hammer kick.

Raichi decided to end it, dodging the attack before hitting Kisara's standing leg. A second later, Raichi elbowed Kisara in the nose as she was falling, sending her backward. Before Kisara could land, though, Raichi snaked her body around Kisara, holding her hostage and putting her thumb and index finger on her throat.

"I've had enough of this," snorted Raichi as she tightened her grip on Kisara's throat, "Bring me Shirahama Kenichi, or the girl dies!"

"Hey, that's unfair," shouted Matsui.

"I don't care," spat out Raichi, "I have a job to finish!"

Seconds seemed to pass as the other Shinpaku members glanced at each other, not knowing what to do. Raichi had managed to maneuver herself so that all current members were in front of her and the exit behind her. Tsukasa and Kurando were slowly picking themselves up. Things seemed to be going Yomi's way...

* * *

"Hahaha, guess I'll have to be the man and save her!"

Before Raichi could blink or move, a palm was softly placed on her face.

 _ **Koppou no Tooshi**_

Raichi felt intense pain as the hit disrupted her brain, forcing her to let go as she fell to the floor while releasing Kisara.

"Urg," groaned Kisara as she massaged her throat, disliking this feeling she was currently having. The feeling of losing once again. She looked at her savior just to see Shinnosuke Tsuji standing before her.

"Yo," Tsuji gave a two-handed salute, "I'm back from my training! So these punks want to mess with Ragnarok?"

"Idiot," coughed Kisara, "Ragnarok disbanded two weeks ago."

"WHATTT!?" shouted Tsuji in surprise, "But... my training! My friends! I.. I.. GOD DAMMIT! Then why did I get summons to come back!?"

"What summons?" asked Shiratori.

"I was told to come back via text message," replied Tsuji as he held up his phone.

"You idiot, we don't do summons by phone, remember?" said Kisara.

"Then who...," trialed off Tsuji, just remembering this fact.

Niijima looked to the side, whistling an innocent tune.

"It does not matter!" sang Siegfried, "You came to us in a time of need! And together we shall play this song! This song... of friendship and loyalty!"

"... sure," sweatdropped Tsuji before turning towards Yomi, "Looks like I didn't smack her hard enough. That's what I get for not going all out."

Raichi Li was indeed slowly standing up, shaking the concussion off. Unable to bear it, she took off her helmet and mask to reveal her face, green eyes and bright pink hair, a rather unique color for... anyone really.

'… cute,' thought Tsuji with a small blush before getting ready to attack.

"I can't end it like this!" growled Raichi as she got a second breath before putting on her helmet once more, "I'll say this once more! Bring out Shirahama Kenichi! Or I will no longer hold back and kill you all!"

"Why do you want Kenichi so bad?" asked Ukita in disbelief.

"All for my family back in China!" snapped Raichi back, "If I defeat Ryozanpaku's strongest disciple, then my three years of training in one of Yami's empty-handed training engine, Yomi, will have meaning. I'll be noticed by Yami and be sent on high paying missions, including protection, and if necessary, assassinations. Yami is the last living martial artist's sanctuary."

Chills went down their spines of everybody else at her statement.

"Oy, oy, those are some dark things you're talking there," said Ukita nervously.

"I'm afraid she's not joking about that," stated Siegfried as she took a glance at Kisara's throat, "She was serious."

"You're going to go after Kenichi just for money!? What a fraudulent girl!" shouted Takeda.

"You, despite how talented you are, have no right to say anything as a person who merely takes martial arts as a hobby," replied Raichi, "How could you even begin to understand? To me and my family, martial arts is something you earn your food for! And for some of us, it is our life!"

Kurando and Tsukasa, who woke up, nodded in agreement as they readied themselves once more.

* * *

As the Shinpaku Alliance readied themselves once more, Niijima decided to make his move.

"You know, Yami isn't the only one martial arts sanctuary."

The three martial artists shifted their attention to Niijima now.

"My company, the Shinpaku Alliance, will become a martial arts organization too! My company will utilize both martial artists and whatever talent they have. Already my company has already lifted off! My loyal Siegfried practices martial arts, which inspire him to create songs that have already become big hits! Takeda will most likely become a world champion, and with his backstory, which I have reserved for Kenichi, will inspire others! Thor has already prepared himself for the future to spread his combat sumo! And if you want, I can recruit you too!"

He pointed at Raichi, "You, girl! I can tell despite all your yammering, you actually don't want to kill."

Raichi shifted uncomfortably at the statement while Niijima continued, "No, you love the Earth too much. I can tell you love flowers too, considering you scouted this place earlier and kept looking at the flowers and playing with them."

"You noticed!?" gasped Raichi, as she was sure that she had done so without anyone looking.

"Nothing escapes my sight when it comes to my base," cackled Niijima, "But you see, those flowers and plants were so tenderly cared for by none other than Shirahama Kenichi! Even while fully committed in martial arts, he has time to not only chase his dream of being a writer but also tend to plants! All the plants here were all cared for by he himself! I can ensure you that if you join my company, you'll never to kill anyone to earn money! We share the same policy of Ryozanpaku, the Katsujinken!"

Raichi was shaken at this statement, not knowing what to do anymore.

"A lot of good that'll do," spat out Tsukasa, "As we speak now, all of our masters and members have invaded them, and most likely killed them all!"

This was met by raucous laughter from Niijima himself, slightly scaring his own members and Yomi.

"Oh I doubt the Zanshin Taisha-ryuu will be able to recover from this," said Niijima, "You really have underestimated Ryozanpaku. Shall I show you why?"

* * *

 _Half an hour earlier_

The Zanshin Taisha-ryuu members had already begun sneaking into Ryozanpaku, getting ready to assassinate its members. Four members had found Apachai juggling pins and bowling balls on his knee, readying their arrows and weapons.

Eight more had snuck into Kensei's room, who was currently giggling perversely to himself as he watched a DVD special, featuring top models in bikinis. They had several naginata and blades pointed at his unsuspecting back.

Akisame was walking down the hall, looking quite immersed in his book. The biggest member of the Zanshin Taisha-ryuu, standing at least two heads taller than him, was ready to attack him.

Shigure had undressed and slipped into the hot spring at Ryozanpaku while Tochumaru and Noir were with her. Tochumaru had taken upon himself to help clean Noir, even if the cat didn't really like it. Several figures were closing in on her in the water.

The rest of the members were on top of the outer wall, their arrows drawn and lit. The grand master of the Zanshin Taisha-ryuu raised his hand up.

"Fire!"

Before the arrows could be released, all the archers were blown off their feet from a gust of wind.

"Now, now, we just had the floors remodeled," said the Elder, standing before them all while releasing his Ki, "Miu managed to buy some much-needed wood to replace them after all those challenges. If you want to fight us, you'll have to pay the dojo challenge fee."

The challengers and grand master responded by charging at the Elder with a battle cry.

* * *

As one would expect, it was a one-sided slaughter.

Apachai decided he wanted to use some more challenging weights and started juggling all four of the said assassins with his knees and feet.

"Apapapapapa!" cheered Apachai.

"Someone get us out of here!" cried the assassin.

* * *

Before the assassins designated to take out Kensei could react, Kensei knocked them all out quite brutally, as they were disturbing his ecchi time.

"Hmph, find another time to fight me," huffed Kensei before perversely giggling at a woman with large breasts and a bikini way too small for her.

* * *

Shigure dodged and snatched her assassin's weapons from them and knocked three of them out, shredding their clothes into bits and pieces.

"People... should not wear clothes... in the bath," stated Shigure before sitting back down and tossing the weapons, "Go warm... yourselves... up."

The fourth assassin, seeing failure, tried to run away, only to run right into Noir and Tochumaru. Noir had been taking lessons from Tochumaru, and started slashing away at the assassin's face with his claws "Ah, get it off get it off me!" cried the assassin before Tochumaru stabbed a needle into the man's neck to paralyze him.

* * *

"And thus, if the two sides are tied together, then the universe is bound as one," explained Akisame to the assassin currently acting as his seat. The assassin's joints had been wrenched out of place, paralyzing him while he cried in pain.

"So, what are your opinions?"

"Kill me!" cried the assassin.

* * *

The fight on the wall didn't even last 20 seconds. All the fighters were down and unconscious while the grand master himself was on his knees, gasping for breath.

"So powerful," gasped the masked man, "I had no idea such a powerful man resided here. But you're too late! Our disciples will have taken care of yours!"

"Actually, he's on a little trip right now and isn't here right now at all," answered the Elder, "But that doesn't matter."

With a huge intake of air, the Elder blew the fighters clean off the roof and into the ground.

"Let's see, Niijima-kun said he wanted a photo of this... how to use this camera?" pondered the Elder out loud as he held a camera. He took out some instructions that Niijima had written, and after carefully reading it, snapped exactly one photo of the Zanshin Taisha-ryuu grandmaster and his cohorts on the ground unconscious. The only reason he took one was due to the fact he pressed the button too hard and crushed it.

* * *

 _Back at the Shinpaku Alliance headquarters_

Kurando and Tsukasa had to stare at the photo Niijima was showing them, of their grandmaster unconscious on the ground. They yelled at him, calling him a liar, but the proof was still there. They wanted to run to Ryozanpaku, to confirm it with their own eyes, but their mission wasn't done yet. They still needed the location of Shirahama Kenichi and they weren't going to get it from Ryozanpaku for sure.

"Can I... really make enough money without having to kill someone while being able to further my path as a martial artist?" asked Raichi, hope evident in her voice.

"Of course!" smiled Niijima, slyly using his Niijima Brainwash, "Though not now, but I expect my company to be able to expand overseas, and China will be one of the first countries I plan to expand into! I could use you as our representative!"

"That's enough!" shouted Tenmonn Li as he appeared between them all, "Do not listen to such lies, Raichi. Not when you have already clearly failed your mission! You're a disgrace to the family!"

As to punctuate this, he backhanded Raichi into the ground.

"Hey, what was that for!?" shouted Tsuji, "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Tenmon Li, the girl's master and father," stated Tenmon as he glared at them all, "I've had enough playing around. I know you know where Shirahama Kenichi currently is. Either tell me or die."

"Heh, you think we'd give up our friend's position that easily?" asked Takeda as he prepared to fight, as did everyone else. Tsukasa and Kuranda decided back off, tending to Raichi while also glaring at Tenmonn. Though they were on the same side, they did not approve of what Tenmonn did. Family was important to them.

"Everyone back off now!" shouted Niijima in worry, "Back into the base! We can hold out there!"

Seeing Niijima give such a panicked order, Matsui and the other lower ranks quickly ran into the building. Ukita, Siegfried, Takeda, Kisara, and Tsuji took on the rearguard, hoping to buy enough time.

"Hit him before he does anything!" shouted Tsuji as he charged forward. The others quickly agreed, but Niijima shouted them to not do anything rash. It was too late though.

"Hmph, not bad, but not good enough," said Tenmon before he struck like a missile, scattering them all.

"What the hell?" coughed out Shiratori.

"Your attacks will never work!" shouted Tenmon as Tsuji tried to land a palm strike, only to miss before being headbutted in the gut, "Your use of _**Koppou**_ is intriguing but useless against me! I, who practice _**Chisouken**_!"

Kisara tried to land a dropkick, only for Tenmon to spin on his head and kick Kisara away while explaining about his martial arts.

"People have claimed that due to the asphalt becoming more and more prominent on the ground that this martial arts style is not viable, but that is far from the truth! The tougher the ground, the more power the practitioner has! The 'ground' is a shield that will never break, and one that can't be dodged! Ground is power!"

While stating that, he had spun on the ground several times, kicking or punching Takeda and Siegfried before finally jumping in the air and landing on Ukita, who felt his ribs being crushed.

"Asshole!" grunted Ukita as he tried to claw on Tenmon's hand, hoping to hold it hostage or break it, only for Tenmon to flex his wrist and dislocate Ukita's hands instead. Tenmon flipped up and kicked Ukita into Siegfried, who spun while catching him to neutralize the momentum.

"Had enough?" said Tenmon as he stood up once more, "I'll say this once more now you've seen my power. Give me Shirahama Kenichi, or die."

Kisara's underlings looked at each other nervously, fearing for their lives. They didn't want to die just for somebody else. Before anyone could say anything though, Takeda stood up once more, limping towards Tenmon.

"I've said it before," said Takeda weakly as he struggled to put up his fists. His face was swollen from the hits that Tenmon had landed. "I'm not giving his location up. You'll have to kill me first."

"So be it," said Tenmon before rushing towards Takeda, ready to take his head off with a punch.

Everyone shouted, trying to distract Tenmon while telling Takeda to run. Takeda merely stood there, too tired to run away, watching the fist approaching his face. He closed his eyes.

* * *

 _ **Whack**_

A clear sound of a punch meeting flesh could be heard from all over.

"Hmph, I'm not about to let you take my disciple away from me, not when he's been earning me quite a bit of money."

Takeda could only slowly open his eyes to see his master, James Shiba, catching the fist with his right hand.

"Shiba-sensei!" cried out Takeda almost collapsing in relief.

"Stand back, I got this," said James with a smile as his mustache stood upright, "So you think you can bully my moneymake-... I mean disciple? Well, you're in for a world of hurt!"

Tenmon managed to pull his fist back and ready himself, sensing this man was strong.

"Yo, you alright?" asked Tsuji as he and Siegfried managed to grab Takeda and pull him back, "Who's that guy, though. He seems... very manly. Especially with that mustache of his."

"So you're the boxer's master," said Tenmon, "Well it's a shame that he'll be without one very soon!"

Tenmon charged forward, aiming for Shiba's legs. He was close when his instincts screamed at him to dodge. He did so, and Shiba's chopping right to the ground missed, cracking the asphalt ground.

"Well looks like your luck's run out," smirked Shiba, "My fists can easily shatter your 'ultimate' shield."

"Then I'll smash you with my secret technique," declared Tenmon as his eyes began to glow before he charged forward.

 _ **Chishou Renkan Shouken Kyappou**_ (Earthly Low Continuous Ball Palm Leg... is the translation.)

Tenmon spun and continued spinning as he fired off a barrage of punches and kicks towards Shiba.

"Sensei!" cried out Takeda in worry.

"Hmph, now that I think of it, I haven't shown you why your left straight is 56,700,000 years too early to match my own," said Shiba as he flicked his cigarette away, "Well then, now's a good time as any!"

"You think you can beat me with such a simple technique?" shouted Tenmon as he got closer.

"Watch carefully now, my disciple," stated Shiba as he got into his stance, being a southpaw like Takeda, "This is how you do a real left straight."

Shiba took a step forward with his right leg and punched with his left fist. Tenmon's eyes widened as he put all his power into his fist as it clashed against the left straight.

The clash caused a huge gust of wind to emanate from it, blowing all the disciples away. Tenmon gritted his teeth as he tried to push through, only to find in his horror, that he was surely being pushed back.

"Just your luck to fight me!" boasted Shiba as he pushed forward, "Maybe if you had a manly mustache like me, you wouldn't have lost so badly!"

With that statement, he punched Tenmon straight into a wall. Tenmon coughed out blood before falling into the flower garden, flattening some flowers.

"Ah, Kenichi won't be happy with that," mused Niijima before whipping out his PDA to order some more flowers.

"Well then, shall I end this?" said Shiba as he started walking forward, only to have his path blocked by Raichi.

"Please, no more!" cried Raichi, "My sifu... Don't kill my father!"

"You fool, get out of there!" coughed Tenmon, "You two, get her out of here!"

"Pfft, as if I would hurt a girl like this," scoffed Shiba as he gently pushed Raichi to the side, "It's not my style. Plus, you didn't go all out in the beginning and didn't end up killing those brats now did you? Otherwise, I would've interfered sooner."

"You were watching the whole time!?" screeched Kisara.

"Course I was," grunted Shiba, "Damn alien brat told me to come to make sure my disciple was safe. I thought it was good training for him to experience fighters stronger than him before I meddled."

He crouched down, looking at Tenmon straight in the face, "It's over. Take your little girl and the other two and leave. If you want to fight again, then I'll be glad to show you why it's a bad idea."

Seeing as it was their loss Tenmon picked himself and started to walk away, as did the others. Before Raichi left, Niijima called her out and tossed her a business card.

"If you're interested, send me a text," said Niijima, "I wasn't lying about what I said earlier. It's my dream to do so."

Raichi looked at the card curiously before pocketing it inside her helmet.

"As for you two, you can fetch your members at the clinic near Ryozanpaku," said Niijima as he turned to Tsukasa and Kuranda.

They nodded in reply and were about to leave when Kuranda looked at Takeda.

"I look forward to challenging you again," said Kuranda.

"Bring it," replied Takeda with a smile and a wink, his smile emphasized with a twinkle.

"Is Ryozanpaku's disciple stronger than you?" asked Tsukasa.

"Far stronger," nodded Takeda without hesitation.

The siblings looked at each other before slowly departing from their view, heading to the clinic to pick up their dojo members.

* * *

Days later after both incidents, Inspector Honmaki had returned to Ryozanpaku with his partner to inform Sakaki that Christopher had escaped, despite their security measures. Sakaki scoffed, saying that it was likely he was already out of the country, as he had a lot of people backing him up.

"Oh, and by the way, it seems as soon as Gauche returned to his home that..," started Inspector Honmaki.

"Did he get assassinated?" asked Sakaki with a sharp glare.

"Actually, no. He seems to have given all his assets to charity and went off to live in the mountains in seclusion," replied Honmaki, causing Sakaki to blink as a Choju Giga bunny hopped through the background, "What is a person? What are principle and belief?' Those were questions that he was heard mumbling before going off on his trip with nothing but the clothes on his back, hiking gear, a backpack full of supplies, and possibly some money. Not one bit of money that he donated to charity has gone back to him at all. Sakaki, what in the world did you do to him?"

"That wasn't me," smirked Sakaki as he leaned back to sip on his beer, "That was most likely my disciple."

"Hoo, Ryozanpaku's disciple is going to be fearsome when he grows up," chuckled Honmaki before pulling a letter out, "I have a letter addressed to him though. It was on the hospital bed that we had Christopher on. We've already checked for any dangerous substance, but it seems to be just paper and ink."

Sakaki gave the letter the stink eye before telling them he would do so.

* * *

Kenichi and Miu were at the Shinpaku Alliance headquarters, getting the details about the fight. Siegfried would have opted to sing for them while explaining, perhaps even making a play, but he was busy training via spinning on the rock again in his own private room at the headquarters.

"Shirahama! Fight me!" challenged Tsuji once more, leaving a groaning Ukita.

Tsuji, after getting used to the fact that Ragnarok had disbanded, was convinced to join the Shinpaku Alliance via Niijima brainwashing and Siegfried's song and dance. Ukita, after training back in his judo dojo, felt like he could take on Tsuji who had done nothing but train in the mountains. Of course, this was before Tsuji told them all about his meeting with some old man dressed in bear fur who trained him.

The fight lasted about 50 seconds, with Ukita trying to throw Tsuji only to be slapped in the face a few times before ending it with several palm strikes.

"Not now!" shouted Niijima, "I'm discussing plans with my second in command! Go annoy Takeda or Kisara, they should prove to be a match for you!"

"Hmmm, you're right!" said Tsuji as he bopped his right hand over his left, "They've surely improved! I can use them as a good measuring stick before fighting you! Last time I got my ass kicked by you, but this time, I'll be sure to get a punch in! But first, I need more fighting experience! Plus I get to see that manly sensei of Takeda!"

With that statement, he rushed off. Kisara was at Freya's base of operation, throwing herself into training once more, disliking the fact she had lost her fight. Takeda was with his master, learning a few more techniques as well as roadwork.

"Now that we have this place to ourselves," noted Niijima, glancing around, "How was your trip?"

"Eventful," replied Kenichi, "Few differences, but the same end result. Though Christopher left this letter for me."

He pulled out a folded up paper that he had still yet to read. On the paper was cursive handwriting with his name on it. He carefully opened it, where the three of them read what was on there.

 _To Shirahama Kenichi and Furinji Miu_

 _The two of you have impressed me, and I say this with honesty. Of course, my butterflies are not happy losing to you, but losses do happen. I cannot say I am happy with failing my mission either, but it did let me see the two of you. You'll go far, but can you keep to the path of Katsujinken to the end? Or will you morph into something else, like butterflies? It will be interesting to see your struggles. If you're ever interested in learning some Savate, then come find me in France. You merely need to show there, and I'll know you're there. I have my ways._

 _Au Revoir_

 _Christopher Eclair_

"Yea, not happening," said Kenichi as he ripped the letter into pieces.

"Well it would be a good excuse to expand into France," muttered Niijima, getting his head slapped by Kenichi and Miu, "Alright, alright. So far, timeline wise, we're good. It was surprising that your trip with your master and the first step of Yomi's invasion happened at the same time, but we got through it."

Niijima's PDA suddenly chimed, to which he picked up and quickly scanned through it before grinning.

"I'll give you the memo of what happened later, but right now, I've got some purchases to make."

With that, Niijima left while rapidly tapping his PDA, confusing Miu and Kenichi.

"Guess that's that," yawned Kenichi as he checked the time and date, only to freeze up for a second.

"What's wrong?" asked Miu.

"The date... it's almost that day," pointed Kenichi.

Miu only needed a glance to know what Kenichi was talking about. It was the day when her mother died, where she would go up to the graveyard to pray. Now that she knew that her father was alive and that he truly loved her, she felt lighter.

"Will you come with me?" asked Miu, "I want to show my mother and grandmother the person whom I fell in love with, the person who swore to protect me."

"Of course," stated Kenichi as his forehead touched her, "I'll always protect you."

* * *

Niijima was very busy purchasing several of Gauche's items that had gone on sale for charity. Several of which he knew would be useful. Though Gauche was a weapons dealer, he also did sell a few nonlethal weaponry, to which Niijima wanted to purchase to expand his personal items for self-defense.

"Yo, Niijima, I have a favor to ask of you," grunted Ukita as he managed to limp his way towards him.

"Oh, and what would that be?" asked Niijima as he looked up from his PDA while scanning his building, which he purchased from Kisara, and thinking what defensive measures were needed and what needed to be purchased.

"You introduced Takeda to a boxing master," said Ukita, "Get me a Judo master, too! That or a Jiujitsu one!"

"Aren't you in your judo dojo?" asked Niijima.

"It's not enough," grumbled Ukita, "The dojo master is kind and helpful, but recent events have shown me it's not enough. Takeda has already left me in the dust and Tsuji whupped my ass. Siegfried is a genius at somehow training himself, and I know Thor is doing the same thing. Kisara is throwing herself into training and can kick without a master! Everyone is getting stronger too fast for me. The only way for me to catch up is if I have a master like Kenichi or Takeda! I'm not a genius and I'm certainly no prodigy, but I want to still stand with them! I'll push through my limits and keep going if I have to!"

'Well, this certainly reminds me of the Kenichi of the past,' chuckled Niijima before responding, "Give me a few days. I don't have anyone off the top of my head, but I'm sure my network will turn someone up. Now get going, I have to check a few more rooms."

Ukita nodded and walked away.

Ukita wandered to a park, wondering what to do. He was currently the weakest out of all of them, excluding the lower rankings of course. He even had doubts whether he could take on Niijima of all people, with his weird techniques. Niijima had shown that if it involved running away, he was much faster than all of them.

"You meanies! Don't be so rude!" shouted a voice.

Ukita looked over to see Honoka and Kaede, recognizing them from the church incident. They seemed to be with four other boys the same age as them, surrounded by six people older than them, most likely second years in high school.

"Hehe, what are you going to do about it?" teased one of the boys.

They started to push the girls, showing that they were bullies. Ukita decided to intervene when another's boy voice called out, "Stop bullying them!"

Everyone turned to look to the source of the voice to see it was the new transfer student in their class. He had black shaggy/spiky black hair, dressed in Qiu Pao instead of a shirt while giving off a clear country boy.

"Naoki-san!" exclaimed Honoka.

* * *

Yamamoto Naoki was ecstatic to be in the city. He had been finally allowed to not only visit the city but to actually live in it! It happened when a friend of his father, Yamamoto Taiki, came to visit. The two of them had some sort of discussion that left his father in somewhat of a worried state but told him not to worry about it. That same night, he managed to land a solid hit on the dreaded Tengu sealed inside the cave! Though the Tengu seemed distracted, a hit was a hit! Curiously the next day he noticed his father an injury at the same area, who dismissed it, saying it was from his spar with his friend Akisame.

But more importantly, his father had kept his promise! It turned out his father already had an apartment in the city in his name. His father decided that he would improve more if he met other people instead of immersing himself in martial arts in solitude all the time. The era was changing, and in order to live and thrive, Taiki decided it was important for Naoki to get an education. And so he went to middle school, where he became friends with two girls, Honoka and Kaede. Of course, there were male bullies, but he decided to ignore them.

Now, though, he was protecting them, along with Honoka and Kaede.

"What are you going to do shrimp?" sneered one of the older bullies, "Cry to your mommy?"

"Please, stop this, or I'll be forced to act," replied Naoki.

"Like you can do anything," spat out another as he tried to punch him.

Ukita was already running to interfere when what he saw amazed him.

Naoki caught the fist and threw the bully into the ground.

"Get him!" shouted the leader of the bullies.

Naoki swiftly took them down with punches, kicks, but ultimately with jiujitsu throws and locks.

"Raaa!" shouted the leader, last of them all. Before Naoki could do anything, Ukita lifted the bully up.

"That's enough out you," scolded Ukita before tossing him into some bushes.

"Ah, you're one of my brother's friends!" exclaimed Honoka, recognizing Ukita.

"Yes, and you're his little sister," grinned Ukita, "You all alright?"

Responses of yes filled the area.

"Good. Now you all should go home. I'll take care of these punks," said Ukita.

The others nodded and waved goodbye to him, calling him Nii-chan. In the end, only Naoki and Ukita remained.

"I could've taken him," pouted Naoki.

"Probably," shrugged Ukita, "But I was already walking over before you came in. Speaking of which, where'd you learn how to fight like that?"

Naoki looked at Ukita with a strange look before replying, "From my father. I'm Yamamoto Yaoki, the one who's going master the Yamamoto Jiujitsu style! Don't look down on me!"

"Easy there," said Ukita, putting a placating hand up, "I'm into judo myself."

"Hmph," scoffed Naoki, "Though I thank you for your assistance, I doubt your skills could match up to mine."

Ukita felt a tick spring up his forehead, "You wanna bet brat!? I do go to judo school, and my instructor says I'm the best in there!"

"Must be a small one," replied Naoki.

"And your class is a size of one?" growled Ukita, "Must not be a good style if there's only one student, and it's the son."

"Take that back!"

"Make me!"

Naoki growled as he jumped towards Ukita. Ukita tried to grab him to pull a _**Reverse Shrimp Shoulder Throw**_ , but Naoki easily latched onto his arm before he could grab him. From there, Naoki twisted his whole body, performing the _**Armlock Twist Takedown**_ , hurling him into the ground.

"You wanna take that back now!?" growled Naoki. When Ukita refused to reply, Naoki began to twist harder until...

"Naoki... What are you doing?"

Taiki had arrived.

"Ah, father!" exclaimed Naoki, "I'm just teaching this idiot just how strong our style is!"

"Naoki, let him go," said Taiki sternly, "You're letting pride get into your head. Just because you managed to land a hit on the tengu doesn't mean you can go boasting now. Apologize to him. You can't let words affect you so easily."

Naoki reluctantly let go and bowed to apologize. Ukita waved it off, saying he shouldn't have said those words either, and that he was distracted by something that he forgot to put a filter on his mouth.

"Come, let's go home," said Taiki, "You will be sparring with the tengu again today."

"He's here!?" gulped Naoki, "I thought you jailed him back into the mountains!"

"I decided it was too dangerous to leave him unattended," replied Taiki, "So I struck a deal with him instead. He's jailed at my friend's place, the one you met before. He'll only be let out to fight you as usual. I can't let your skills deteriorate before we find some schools for you to test your skills against."

As the two was about to leave, Ukita made his decision.

"Wait!" shouted Ukita, forcing the two to turn around, "Take me as a disciple!"

"Hmph, have you no shame?" asked Naoki.

Before he could say anything else, Taiki lightly bopped his son's head to silence him before asking, "Why do you want to learn from me? From what it looks like, you are someone who practices Judo. Jiujitsu and Judo are quite different."

"... Because I don't want to be left behind," said Ukita quietly, "All my friends are getting stronger for their fight against Yomi, but I'm lagging behind. Soon, I'll be nothing be dead weight to them. I want to be able to stand next to them to help fight Yomi!"

"And who is this Yomi?" asked Taiki.

"They're supposed to be the disciple group of Yami," replied Ukita, "We, the Shinpaku Alliance, recently had to fight against Yomi and I couldn't do anything."

Taiki's hand suddenly clenched up at this statement. He had been warned about Yami emerging from Akisame, as well as a few other warnings. It was why he decided to stop with solitude, though his son managing to land a hit on him wasn't planned. He glanced at Ukita before glancing at his son once more. Perhaps having another disciple would push his son further, while also helping Ukita out. Akisame had also mentioned the Shinpaku Alliance, describing them as a group of disciples allied with Ryozanpaku.

"... Meet us here again at 4 pm," stated Taiki, "I'll consider it if you pass through my training period. I warn you, it's going to be hell."

Naoki looked at his father in shock before Taiki told him that he would going through it too.

"I'll do it!" shouted Ukita.

Taiki merely nodded before prodding his son home. There were things he needed to think about.

* * *

 **Ta daa! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Next up, more of Yomi coming in hot!**

 **Also, I thought about the suggestion made by Endless, and have decided to act on it. Anyone who wants to put up a name for Kenichi's new Ki type, send me a pm of the name and a small explantion. If you put it into a review, there's a chance that I might miss it, so pm would be better. I'll be open for suggestions for a month before I close it and then put it into a poll.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Reminder, I have a pat reon** **, look up azndrgn** **making fanfic** **. Donators get perks!**

 **This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve!**

 **Also, a small A/N at the end of this chapter.**

* * *

Looking out into the ocean stood a well built teenage boy with silver-blue hair and heterochromia with unique eye colors of icy blue on the right and red on the left, looking out an ant that was crawling away while trying to carry its food.

"Look at the ant, giving his all to carry that food," said the teenager as he stared at it, the tattoo on the left side of his face noticeable, "Looks like you have it tough."

He turned around when he heard a motorboat come nearby, with his karate teacher and Sakaki's personal rival, God Fist Akira Hongo.

"What are you doing?" asked Hongo as he pushed his sunglasses up, but not before touching the large scar on his face, "Come over here quickly Sho."

"Ok, sensei," said Sho as he looked down to the ant before stomping it to death, "For wingless bugs like you that crawl on the ground, it would be better for you be to stomped on!"

With that, Sho jumped off the pier he was on and landed on the boat before crawling up on his teacher and sitting on his shoulders. Soon, they were on a disguised passenger ship, going down to the meeting room where they met Ogata. After a brief greeting, the One Shadow Nine Fist meeting was underway, though the One Shadow was absent from it. Ogata and Hongo were the masters on the ship while everyone else was scattered across the globe, using computer screens to communicate with live feed. As they discussed some plans, Ogata decided to bring up the subject about Ryozanpaku's strongest disciple, Shirahama Kenichi.

"Though three disciples, two from the Zanshin Taisha-ryu and one from Chishoken, were sent to fight him, they were defeated by what I believe is to be Ryozanpaku's 'reserve' army, the Shinpaku Alliance," stated Ogata, "Curiously a group of disciples who practice martial arts. Quite like Yomi, except only a few have masters while the others are self-trained. Nonetheless, they show potential."

"Oh," smiled the Laughing Fist, Carlo Diego, "Do tell me more! I'd like to see if they would be good cannon fodder for the Desperate Fight of Disciples!"

"Hmph, foolish," huffed the Bewitching Fist, Mikumo Kushinada, who despite being roughly the same age as Hayato Fuurinji, appeared to be in her mid-20s with a well-endowed and firm chest. She did not even seem to care that her nipples could be seen from her clothes. "I am more interested in this so-called 'strongest' disciple."

"Indeed, our goal is to defeat the strongest disciple with our disciple. If we kill him before he becomes the 'strongest', the world won't accept it," stated Jum Sai Agaard, the Sovereign of Fists and Elbows, "Of course, we will not interfere in our disciple's fight."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk about," said Ogata. He had been debating about whether to tell this information to Yami long and hard before deciding to go with a few... half-truths.

"The boy is a prodigy for sure," continued Ogata, causing quite a few masters to scoff, "He is a direct disciple of the Invincible Superman Hayato Fuurinij himself, as well as disciples of all the other Ryozanpaku masters. He seems to be mastering not only hand to hand combat, but also weapons usage, no doubt from the Prodigy of Swords, Mistress of all Weapons Shigure Kosaka."

"Hmph, so he uses weapons," scoffed Alexander Gaider, the Fist of Destruction, "Perhaps he needs it to compensate his lack of skill in CQC."

"That is far from the truth," said Ogata, "Though skilled with his choice of weapon, he has shown greater mastery in using his fists and legs instead. Truth be told, judging by his skill, I have to say that only some of our direct disciples can challenge him…. and that is by working together in a group."

This was met with uproar, some insulting Ogata, saying that just because his disciple, who was the weakest of them all in their opinion, was defeated didn't mean theirs would.

"I've only stated my opinion based on how he has fought," said Ogata as they calmed down, "But if you don't believe me, feel free to send your disciples in."

Ogata had opted to not tell them all about the boy being able to use _**Ki no Shouka**_ , nor his fight against Christopher Eclair, as it would draw unwanted attention from the Demon God Fist, Jenazad Silkwat and perhaps Kushinada. He had no desire to have Kenichi taken by them, as he wanted to have the first chance himself.

It was then that Sho found a female spy in their midst, who had copied precious data into a disc. Sho allowed her to escape, but not before stealing the disc.

"So this is Ryozanpaku's disciple," noted Sho as he saw a knocked over the screen with Kenichi's face on it. He raised his foot and crushed the screen, "I don't know why, but I really want to smash him to bits." As the discussion went on, they never noticed a small blip.

* * *

"Kekeke, so interesting!" giggled Niijima as he eavesdropped into the conversation. He had managed to safely hack into their network. Though he could only get bits and pieces of the conversation, it was enough to know that Ogata had not told Yami everything about Kenichi.

"I can work with this!" cackled Niijima before looking up a few topics. He had a rough idea on what to do to help Ukita.

* * *

Today was the day. Today was where everything began and changed. The day Miu's chance of a family, of having a loving mother and father disappeared. The day where she would never be able to have her parents watch her grow up. The day her mother was killed and her father framed for such a crime.

"You ready?" asked Kenichi, wearing normal clothes instead of his school uniform like last time. Though he chose to wear a black robe over his shirt to join in the mourning process, similar to the Elder's.

Miu merely nodded as the Elder checked his pocket watch before declaring it was time. They ran through the long path up towards the mountain, with Kenichi doing his best to catch up. Despite all his training and experience, Miu was still the faster of the two. The Elder... well he just didn't count. Still, Miu had already taught him _**Nanba Hashiri**_ to improve his speed. They soon made it to the cemetery and were standing in front of the Fuurinji family grave, where they prayed.

"I'm going to meet up with the head priest, you two head back by yourselves when you're done," stated the Elder as he left to give his greetings.

The two stayed there in silence for a bit longer until Miu began talking to the grave.

"Mom. Grandma. I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Shirahama Kenichi," began Miu, "A lot of things have happened, ones I never thought were even possible. Still, we've been given another chance to help others, and Kenichi has been my rock in these rapid tides. I only wish you two could be here to meet him."

As Miu let a tear fall out of her eye, Kenichi stepped up, "I know that I may not seem like much, but I promise I'll protect Miu. I will always protect her, this I vow."

A small distance away in the tree stood Fuurinji Saiga, leaning on some trees while he paid his respects to his dead wife and mother. Truthfully, he had not visited the grave in years, as the guilt of his failure still ate away at him. But his father had pushed him to come visit, to which he finally obliged. He had heard what Miu said, and was confused by what she meant by another chance, but pushed that off for now. Instead, he was more focused on Kenichi, who had been introduced as her daughter's boyfriend. Hearing his heartfelt promise, Saiga felt like he could trust this boy, though not by much. He had still yet to prove himself.

"I'm sure your mother and wife wouldn't want you to be so distant from your daughter," stated the Elder as he revealed himself to Saiga.

"I know...," sighed Saiga, "But every time I see Miu's face, Shizuha's dying face is etched into my dreams. It doesn't help that Senzui disguised himself as me when he killed her. Who knows what my wife thought before she died? Did she know it was Senzui, her best friend? Or did she think it was actually me? And what of Miu? To this day, I still don't know why Senzui spared her, if he found her. Will Miu remember me at all? And if she does, will she remember Senzui in my disguise, drenched in the blood of my wife?"

Saiga began to shake as the tree he was holding onto started to crack under pressure. His Ki was beginning to leak out and would've notified Kenichi and Miu if the Elder hadn't suddenly moved and hugged his son.

Saiga froze in shock as the Elder held him. It had been so very long since his father had done this to him.

"It's alright," whispered the Elder, "I'm sure Shizuha realized that you would never harm your own family. As for Miu, I'm sure she'll trust you if you just reach out to her."

A moment of silence passed between them as Saiga allowed tears to drop out of his eyes as the Elder continued to hug his son.

* * *

Meanwhile, a mile away stood Kano Sho, observing Miu and Kenichi with his binoculars.

"Hoo, looks like the information was correct," murmured Sho, "Looks like I found the bug. But I lost track of the old one when he walked away. Lucky me, though, that he left those two."

Miu and Kenichi were walking towards a park, arms hooked as they chatted.

"Perhaps I should take the chance and get a closer look," mused Sho before getting on his motorcycle, following the couple right to Dokokano Botanical Gardens.

"Hoo, a botanical garden as a date? He's pretty cool for a bug," complimented Sho, "Still, gotta scout them, and see what's this whole strongest disciple is all about, especially to make Ogata-sensei say to have most of us avoid him."

"Sho-sama!" yelled two voices.

"Urg, how'd you two find me?" asked Sho wearily as Hayami Nauma and Seto Koya, his fellow brothers in discipleship under Akira Hongo.

"Hongo-sensei told us to keep track of you after hearing Ogata-sama's warning," replied Hayami,

"So to do so, we recently had a tracker placed within your motorcycle," finished Seto, fishing out a GPS device, "So why are you here?"

"Err... to see the flowers?" lied Sho, not wanting to 'die' as he did not have permission from Hongo to spy on Kenichi.

"Ah, yes Hongo-sensei has been telling us to slow down and meditate a bit," nodded Hayami, "What perfect way to meditate than to be in the flower gardens, around nature!"

"I have already taken the time to purchase tickets for us," said Seto, reappearing before them, "Let us go in."

The trio walked in, and both Seto and Hayami began to admire the flowers.

"This is a pleasant activity you have chosen, Sho-sama," began Hayami as he turned around to him, just to see him missing.

"Ah, Sho-sama ran away again!" exclaimed Seto, "We must find him!"

The two began to panic as they rushed off to find their missing master, rushing right past a bush. After they turned a corner, Sho's head popped out of the bush.

"Geez, didn't think I'd lose them that easily," grumbled Sho, "Oh well, better for me. I can scout out the target better alone."

* * *

"You know, this place was our very first date," giggled Miu as the two of them strolled within the gardens, "It's so nice to come back here. Especially when it got cut short."

"And who's fault was that?" teased Kenichi, "You ran off by yourself, and then almost ran off to join Yomi just for information."

"Moouuu, don't remind me," pouted Miu, "I was so desperate after visiting the grave. But now that I know the truth, I'm not as desperate. My only wish now is that he would just come clean and spend some time with me."

"I'm sure the day he does won't be far," said Kenichi as the two watched two hummingbirds hovering around a flower.

Miu nestled in closer to him, as if leeching his warmth, as the two continued their stroll in the gardens. "But for now, I'll just have to stay close to you, Ryozanpaku, and your family," murmured Miu, "I'm glad I got to know your mom on a more personal basis than last time."

"Hopefully she didn't say anything embarrassing about me," gulped Kenichi nervously.

"Oh she shared a few stories," grinned Miu.

* * *

They had been walking through the forest area of the gardens when they saw Sho looking up a tree, gazing at a sparrow who's leg had been caught on a fishing line. When they saw him, their minds could not help but flash back to their old timeline, where Sho's last act was to save Miu, and the words he spoke of.

" _Promise me you'll protect her! Protect her from anything evil from Yami!"_

It was the promise made before he died.

" _Stand up. You promised me you'd protect Miu. Gather your strength, you're a martial artist, aren't you? Protect her. Protect her from falling into darkness and everything evil."_

The same promise that revitalized Kenichi, giving him strength to land a solid hit on Miu, who had been brainwashed, and snap her out of it while saving her.

* * *

"Poor thing," murmured Sho, snapping both of them out of their trance.

"Ah, the bird," commented Miu, remembering why he was looking up.

Sho froze at the sound of someone right behind him while berating himself.

'Crap, crap, crap, I did it again. I have the bad habit of completely losing focus whenever I get distracted. Sensei always lectured me to get rid of this habit, but I just can't seem to do so, especially when it comes to birds. I hate bugs that crawl on the ground, but I just love birds! What do I do?'

"Seems like the bird got caught in a fishing line," added Kenichi, "Though I'm not sure why that's even doing there in the first place."

'If sensei finds out I made contact with someone from Ryozanpaku, especially Shirahama Kenichi, he'll kill me,' gulped Sho, 'I'll just save that bird and then disappear!'

As Sho quickly jumped, hopping off the tree trunks towards the bird, so did Miu. Sho witnessed Miu's moves as she seemed to effortlessly dance in the sky. As soon as they both landed on the tree branch, Sho swore that Miu had wings. The two of them quickly freed the bird, watching it fly away into the sky. Miu turned to Sho, not sure what to say exactly when Sho went first.

"I found you! I've been looking for somebody like you!" exclaimed Sho with stars twinkling around his excited face, "My name is Kano Sho! Come, let us fly together to the wide and dark sky together! I'm sure Yami would surely accept you!"

He moved towards her, only for Kenichi to suddenly appear between them.

"That's my girl," stated Kenichi with a serious face. As much as he respected Sho, he also remembered the constant rivalry for Miu's affection.

Sho moved back, more shocked about the fact that Kenichi managed to move so fast in between them than the fact the two were dating. As he moved back, he blinked as he swore he also saw wings around Kenichi, wrapping around Miu as if protecting her. Except these wings seemed... familiar to him. Almost as though it was his own, and that he had given it to Kenichi, which confused him greatly, as he had never met him... had he?

Shelving those thoughts for later, he focused more on the fact that the two were a couple. And yet the girl simply resonated in his heart. Kenichi's existence suddenly welled up within him.

"I don't suppose I can convince you two to break up?" asked Sho.

"NO!" shouted Kenichi.

"Eh, worth a shot," shrugged Sho, "But still, I can't exactly let you go now that you've seen me. So do me a favor and die."

Sho suddenly accelerated forward, intent on stabbing Kenichi in the stomach at speeds that would have caught many disciple class by surprise. Sho, however, would be the one shocked as Kenichi halted the attack by grabbing his wrist before his attack could hit home. Quickly reacting, he shifted himself so he would be under Kenichi's center of gravity, lifting him up in the air and getting ready to strike once more, only to quickly take evasive maneuvers as Kenichi simply let go of the hand and spun in the air before lashing out with a kick, barely missing his head.

"Hoo, you're better than I thought," said Sho, "Guess I'll take this more seriously."

The two of them glared at each other on the tree branch as the wind began to blow between them, scattering leaves.

 **Crack**

All three quickly looked down to the source of the sound, which was behind Miu, to see the branch starting to break.

"Hey, you kids get down from there!" shouted an attendant, "No climbing on trees! You're breaking precious private property!"

* * *

The three of them quickly jumped down and apologized to the attendant, who was still busy scolding them. After he finished scolding them and left, the trio glanced at each other.

"So...you sure I can't change your mind?" Sho asked Miu once more, "I can tell you all you want to know! Perhaps you want information on say...your father?"

In the old timeline, Miu would have been severely tempted by this offer. But now she knew the truth, and with the Elder freely telling her all about his past, this offer no longer tempted her.

"Thank you, but I will not join Yami. I am happy with my current situation with Ryozanpaku and my boyfriend," stated Miu clearly.

At this, both Kenichi's and Miu's existence grew even bigger within Sho's mind. Miu was the perfect girl that he wanted, and Kenichi was the bug blocking that path.

"Sho-sama!" shouted Hayami, suddenly appearing before them.

"Please don't run off like that," heaved Seto, "Sensei told us to keep track of you."

Sho started to sweat bullets as his two escorts appeared before them all, knowing that if they knew who he was with, sensei would surely punish him. Still, there was a chance that they wouldn't know.

"Ah, you are Shirahama Kenichi!" shouted Hayami.

Scratch that, he was screwed. His only hope was to have Hayami and Seto keep quiet about this, or go out on an all-out attack. Before he could decide, a familiar voice popped over.

"Hmm? It's been a while, hasn't it Kano Sho, or the leader of Yomi, one of Yami's martial artists, 'Suparna'."

Tanimoto Natsu came waltzing out on the path, standing in between them.

"Ah, Hermit, it's been awhile," waved Sho, "Don't try to stop me, I'm going to crush that bug."

"To be truthful, I don't know if you can," admitted Natsu, "But other than that, won't godhand be pissed off right now?"

Sho shivered in fear, remembering that he was clearly breaking the rule that Hongo had told him personally not to do.

"Right, I should get going," shivered Sho, "But let me try one more time. Are you sure you won't come with me and fly together in the dark skies Fuurinji Miu?"

"Ok, I have to interrupt you there," sighed Natsu, "I would suggest you not pursue that line of thought. Do you want godhand and the Invincible Superman to be pissed at you for taking her without order or consent?"

"Ah, good point," nodded Sho, "Well no matter. I'm sure that you'll see in time Miu that you'll find your true place is with us. By the way, why are you here Hermit?"

"Ah, that's...," stuttered Natsu, starting to sweat.

"Hey! You can't just leave without me!"

Renka showed up with two drinks in her hands, wearing what seemed to be a cleaner red Cheongsam mini Qipao than compared to what she usually wore, though a clear window of her chest could be seen, as well as her legs.

"Ooh, a date?" asked Miu, forming a heart with her hands.

"It's not a date!" shouted both Natsu and Renka.

"Oh really? I thought you liked girls who wore those Chinese dresses like this one," commented Sho, "I mean, you had magazines of girls wearing those things in your bag."

"I was looking at articles of a company I had planned to expand into!" denied Natsu hotly before turning to Renka, "And you! Weren't you supposed to be helping watch my little sister!?"

"I have Ryu and Koan doing that right now," pouted Renka, "I came to see where you were going and also investigate who was throwing out all this killing intent. I'm guessing it's him?"

"... Just leave Sho," sighed Natsu, "Stay here longer, and I can't guarantee you'll escape safely."

"Perhaps we should listen," urged Seto, "Hongo-sensei did tell us not to engage in any fights for now."

Seeing no choice, Sho turned around and left, but not before giving a wink to Miu once more and then telling Seta and Hayami not to say anything.

Miu turned to Kenichi, proud that Kenichi had managed to defend himself. For a slow starter, he had handled it calmly and perfectly. Then she almost laughed when she could see Kenichi shaking. If he opened his mouth, people could see a face on his uvula screaming.

"... So you two are dating?" asked Kenichi as he managed to calm down.

"NO!" screeched both of them again.

"Kaede managed to convince Renka to come with us to the gardens," sighed Natsu, "I promised to take her here when she recovered from her chronic asthma. She's pretty much cured, but I still don't get how Renka somehow came along. Your sister is here with us, though."

"Yea I'm not sure how your sister convinced Uncle Hakubi to let me have the day off," nodded Renka, "Granted we have more workers at the store now thanks to Niijima introducing us to some low wage workers, it's still a mystery."

Truthfully, the low wage workers were members of the Zanshin Taisha-ryuu. For you see, they had landed themselves in quite a bit of debt with all the medical bill and the dojo challenge fee when fighting Ryozanpaku. They argued that they should not be responsible, but then Akisame showed them the bill and laws pertaining to their dojo, mainly that any form of physical attack aimed at any member of Ryozanpaku in the name of a martial arts school would be held responsible for paying all fees. Seeing as Yami refused to financially support them, they were about to declare bankruptcy when Niijima intervened with a contract.

In summary, the Zanshin Taisha-ryuu was now under Niijima's control, as he bought the debt from Ryozanpaku, and was now their debt collector. Niijima allowed them to exist under a few conditions, such as turning over to Katsujinken and actively working to reduce their debt. Niijima contacted Uncle Hakubi and managed to get some of them working over there.

As for allowing Renka to come...Kaede may have challenged him to a Mah Jong match.

"Hohoho, I heard that you're quite skilled young one," chuckled Hakubi, "But take in mind that I am much better at this than my nephews."

Despite that claim, he was still annihilated by Kaede and joined the ever-growing group of the defeated.

"Oh well, it's something to think about later," stretched Renka. Now that they had a lot more talented workers, she could work on her other plan that she made with Niijima.

"Now come, you should join us!" cheered Renka, grabbing Kenichi and pulling him towards Kaede and the others. Miu and Tanimoto could only sigh and quickly catch up.

* * *

"So Ukita, ready to meet your new master?" asked Niijima as Ukita dragged himself into the Shinpaku Alliance headquarters. Takeda was at his master's training while Kisara was sparring with Freya. Siegfried had gone back into his room to continue spinning on a boulder for two weeks straight now. Thor was still up in the mountains training his combat sumo, and Tsuji, who had finally decided to join Shinpaku, as punching some wooden posts that Niijima had set up to toughen himself up.

"Ah, I didn't tell you, I already found one," grumbled Ukita, trying to feel his muscles. His training with Taiki and Naoki Yamamoto was no joke. Every morning before school, he had to wake up early for morning training which usually involved scaling a nearby cliff that Taiki had somehow found while dragging his master and several weighted tires. After school involved constant sparring with the brat, to which to his chagrin he would keep losing. Then at night, they would fight the Tengu. Ukita, of course, laughed when he heard Naoki telling him all about the Tengu, up until when they had to fight it. Ukita obviously could tell it was just Taiki in a disguise, but he couldn't tell that to Naoki due to the fact he was usually taken out first before anything else. Ukita later learned to just let Naoki believe it was real. He had already lost several of his sunglasses to him, and during their spars, Taiki would wear his sunglasses over the Tengu mask, as if to mock him. That, or he liked the sunglasses.

"Ah yes, I am quite aware of that," nodded Niijima, "But tell me, are you diverging from the path of judo and into jiujitsu now?"

"...Not like I have much of a choice," grumbled Ukita, "I don't know any good Judo masters out there."

"Ah, but I've found you one!" grinned Niijima, "Come, follow me."

Curious at what Niijima was saying, Ukita followed him to into a room where Matsui and Kimoto were playing video games... and taking notes from it? There were multiple television sets as well.

"Meet your master!" cackled Niijima as Matsui and Kimoto stood up and saluted Ukita.

"... You're joking right?" asked Ukita, "Those two are my masters?"

"No sir!" said Matsui, "We are merely tools, a means to convey lessons from your master, for you! Your true master is here!"

Ukita looked to where Matsui was pointing just to see... a video game console. It was a shiny PS2, one of the latest gaming console, along with a Gamecube.

"Are you fucking messing with me!?" roared Ukita, grabbing Niijima by his shirt.

"Nonono," stated Niijima calmly, "Let Matsui and Kimoto show you."

Getting a nod from their governor-general, they turned back to their game systems and loaded up the games to reveal King of Fighters and Street Fighters. They chose judo type characters and began playing, doing combos to AI opponents.

"This is what I wanted to show you," said Niijima, "These moves, although some may be impossible to do, are all effective judo moves that you can incorporate in your style."

Ukita didn't respond as he watched Matsui's character grabbing his opponent, swinging her around for a bit in a whirlwind before slamming her into the floor, as well as doing some combos. He switched over to Kimoto to see his character grab someone in midair and judo throw them into the floor. He looked over to the shelves to see plenty more fighting games, all with judo based characters.

"Maybe," murmured Ukita, "But who's willing to practice with me?"

Niijima merely chuckled before bringing out a realistic dummy he had bought from Gauche's donation sales, "You can practice using this!"

Ukita nodded before attempting one of the moves he saw with Matsui using on the dummy.

* * *

 _One week later_

Kano Sho parked his motorcycle on top of an unfinished building in the middle of the night, waiting for Boris Ivanov, a direct disciple of Alexander Gaidar and a member of Yomi. His mind went back to Miu, whom he happily thought of, and Kenichi, whom he wanted to squash. Sho also shivered when he remembered telling his sensei where he had been truthfully. There had been no need to lie, as he was a horrible liar anyway, and his sensei could easily sense lies. Punishment had been brutal. Sho snapped out of his musing when he heard the telltale signs of a helicopter approaching the building.

"Helicopters may be able to fly, but they don't have wings," frowned Sho, "I don't like them."

The helicopter hovered in the air above Sho as ropes were dropped from it. Suddenly, six people dressed in army clothes began to descend down quickly from the helicopter.

"Geez, can't you guys arrive to Japan in a more ordinary fashion, Boris?" chuckled Sho.

"That would be troublesome," replied the identified Boris Ivanov, who was wearing a gray camouflage suit along with warpaint. He had silver hair that was spiked in the back, and wore a serious face when addressing to Sho. "We are not part of the army, nor are we regular citizens."

It was clear that out of the group of seven that had come, he was the leader.

"So, what do your require of us?" asked Boris, "It's clearly too early for our regularly scheduled meetings of Yomi."

"I have a direct order from the leader Yami," grinned Sho, "I need you guys to go wild for a bit."

"Hmph, I have no obligation to follow any orders except from my master," stated Boris, "I only came here because my master ordered me to do so, and will not move until further notice."

The winds blew between them as Sho glared at them, "I've wanted to say this for a long time..."

Suddenly, Sho comically pointed at Boris, "Boris, that camo uniform would make you stick out in a crowd! It stands out! It stands out!"

Sho had repeated the last part twice to make his point, but it was calmly ignored by Boris, who had received a phone call from his master from a military grade satellite phone, one which was attached to a backpack that allowed the phone call to be scrambled if anybody else tried to hack into the phone.

"I understand master," saluted Boris, "We shall be returning to Yomi's chain of command at 2300 hours until further notice!"

With his phone call done, he handed it to one of his subordinates before snapping to attention back at Sho, "Leader Kano, we await your orders."

"Boris Ivanov," said Sho calmly, "I really hate you."

* * *

 _Days later_

"So... what are you doing at my house?" asked Natsu calmly as Kaede and Honoka were at Kaede's room playing.

"Now don't be so cold," smiled Kenichi, "We only came to visit while also making sure Honoka gets home safely later."

"I can accept that as a reason," nodded Natsu, "But what I can't accept is that you're currently in my home drinking tea when the pickup time is two hours later! And that fact that she's here to!"

"Nya what's wrong with me checking up on my uncle's disciple?" stated Renka.

"And you're the one who provided tea," added Kenichi.

'Shit, that's right,' thought a shocked Natsu. It had been ingrained in him to serve tea to visitors to their home, thanks to Kaede, who pointed out it was rude not to.

"Ah, perfect, you're all here," grinned Niijima as he suddenly popped in, "Wait, where's Miu?"

"Oh, she's at home right now," stated Kenichi, "She's busy checking on the current states of stocks as well as balancing the checkbook of Ryozanpaku. I asked if she wanted me to help, but she insisted on doing it herself. I think there's a chance she wants to be an accountant in the future."

"Mmm, oh well," shrugged Niijima, "Right now, all captains and vice captains of the Shinpaku Alliance are undergoing heavy training. As for you, Renka, the plan is going well. We should be able to get you in tomorrow."

"Yaa!" cheered Renka.

"Wait, get her into what?" asked Kenichi curiously.

"Oh you'll find out," cackled Niijima before turning to Natsu, "As for you, I've already got some info about your master."

"Wait, he's still alive?" asked Renka.

"Of course he is," snorted Natsu, "Ba Sogetsu is not one to die from a mere burning building."

Natsu also didn't include that fact he knew his master was still alive due to the fact he actually visited Kaede and left him scrolls. Only Kenichi and the members of Ryozanpaku knew of this.

'Not to mention I left a few tools for him to use,' added Niijima mentally before speaking, "Anyways, here's the latest update."

Natsu scanned and grinned, as his own investigators he had hired had failed before realizing something important, "Hey, wait, how'd you get in here!? I didn't hear a doorbell ring, nor did Kaede come downstairs to open the door!"

"Eh? A spare key," replied Niijima, showing his own own key before getting smacked in the head by Natsu.

"My head is starting to feel weird," stated Natsu as he snapped the key in half, only for Niijima to brag he had more.

This caused Natsu to grab Niijima and shake him roughly until Niijima promised that he would not give any spare key to anyone. There were still people in his company that would love the chance to get one and grab Kaede.

"Also, I have more info on Yami and Yomi," smirked Niijima.

"Do you have a death wish?" asked Natsu frostily, "Not to mention any information about them is deeply protected."

"And yet I've already got information about some of them," grinned Niijima, "Including a conversation they were having a few days ago."

"What!?" screeched all three of them.

"Ogata has told the rest of Yami about you, Kenichi," nodded Niijima, "Though I could only get bits and pieces, he did not tell anyone about your mastery of Ki. I theorize he doesn't want to let the others to know to get a shot at you as a disciple. That, or he wants you to owe him a favor."

"I suppose that's good," mumbled Kenichi. He had used _**Ki no Shouka**_ to fix Ryuto's Ki network, and knew the risk of revealing it. To hear that the majority of Yami did not know this information for now was a welcomed boon.

"Fine, then what about Yomi?" asked Natsu.

"I've gotten details that several members of Yomi have already arrived," said Niijima, "And this information was actually quite easy to come by. They've already started to conquer multiple dojos and raising hell."

"So I can expect them at my place soon enough," huffed Renka, "I'll show them what it means to mess with the Ma family. Pervert, it's time to train!"

"Stop calling me that, exhibitionist!" shouted Natsu as Renka dragged Natsu to the backyard to spar.

"I feel like since we jumped back in time, we somehow jump started a relationship that didn't exist before," chuckled Kenichi as soon as he knew they were out of earshot range.

"Dangers of time travel," nodded Niijima, "Some things are bound to change out of our expectations. Still, it's not so bad. Once I get the Taninmoto Corporation into the Shinpaku Alliance, it will grow even bigger. And if Renka does end up with Natsu, I can easily expand into China even faster. My company will become known worldwide, and my dreams will soon be fulfilled. Kehehehehehe!"

Kenichi had to smack Niijima in the head to stop laughing.

* * *

The next day, they all received a rather large surprise at school.

"I'd like to proudly present to you a new transfer student, all the way from China herself!" cried homeroom teacher Fukujiro Yasunaga, his bald head gleaming in the sun, "May I introduce to you... Ma Renka!"

"Ya ho! I'm from China!" smiled Renka, wearing a modified uniform with a vest over it while giving a peace sign.

Natsu, Miu, and Kenichi almost face faulted in shock while Niijima merely cackled.

"Principal, do we have enough room?" asked their homeroom teacher Kyouko Ono, "Oh wait, there's a seat that's actually empty over there!"

Conveniently there was an empty seat right behind Natsu. Renka skipped over to the empty seat, happy to be near Kenichi.

"Hello. Let me be one of the first to greet you here at Koryu High," greeted Natsu with his fake smile and princely charm.

"Eh, what the hell?" said Renka with a head tilt, "What's with all this flowery attitude per-,"

Renka didn't get to finish her sentence as Natsu quickly covered her mouth, but the damage was done.

"Eh, pervert?" filled in one student, "No way, kyaaa!"

"She meant personnel," said Natsu, salvaging the situation, "I forgot that I met her on one of my business trips."

He then hissed at Renka, "Please, shut up."

"Mmmm, fine," mumbled Renka through his mouth, "But you're buying me lunch. Now get your hands off me or I'm going to start yelling."

Natsu quickly did so and sat down, feeling a sense of dread wash over him as Renka took a seat behind him.

"Oh yea, team meeting after school," said Niijima, "I already contacted Ryozanpaku to allow you to come."

* * *

Meanwhile, at a Yami base, Kano Sho was greeting three other Yomi members who had arrived. Rachel Stanley, Ethan Stanley, and Radin Tidat Jihan calmly sat on the benches, awaiting further orders.

"Hey wait, where's Boris?" asked Sho.

"Er, leader, did you send the order to end the mission?" asked Rachel in her Lucha Libre suit, which revealed her assets quite a bit, "Because he's just going to keep going forever."

"Shit!" cursed Sho, "What's his radio frequency!?"

"Dunno?" they all replied.

"Does he at least have a cell phone?" asked Sho, "He should have one, right?"

"I don't think he would," shrugged Jihan, "Would be a security risk, in his opinion."

As Sho racked his brains, Boris had finished off 58 dojos. Luckily, Ukita's dojo had not been part of it.

"What's next!" demanded Boris to his subordinate.

"Sir, all 58 dojos from the lowest rank have been conquered! What shall we do next?" asked the subordinate.

"... We conquer them again!" ordered Boris until realizing something seemed off and quickly demanded to see the list.

Upon scanning the list, Boris noticed there was one more dojo's address on the list, and quickly backhanded his subordinate for his mistake, as it would have meant they failed the mission if they didn't complete everything on the list.

* * *

At the Shinpaku headquarters, Miu and Kenichi whistled at the many improvements Niijima had already done. He had renovated a few rooms for practice and improved the décor already.

"Why am I here?" grumbled Natsu, "I'm not even part of the Shinpaku Alliance."

"Ah c'mon," cheered Renka, "You can't be a loner all the time. And you can remove your fake mask that you use in school here without worry! Plus, Kaede told me to have you hang out with more friends!"

"Whom I choose to partake company with is none of your business," shot back Natsu.

Soon the two began bickering once more while Niijima began to discuss with Miu and Kenichi about the future development of Shinpaku.

* * *

Boris looked up at the what seemed to be a rather old dojo gate, arriving at their destination. Though it seemed to be the most run down of all the dojos they faced, it seemed to still be in quite good quality.

"What's the sign say?" asked Boris before complaining, "Why does Japanese have katakana, hiragana, and Kanji? I can't read a single word of Kanji yet!"

Boris had only learned how to speak Japanese, as it was much easier to do so than read and write. Luckily, he knew one of his subordinates was more fluent in the language and pointed to the dojo sign written in Kanji.

"Yes sir! I believe it's pronounced...Hakuzanryou," declared the subordinate.

"Hakuzanryou... sounds familiar, but I don't know where," murmured Boris, "Whatever. Let's go. Mission start!"

Sadly, the subordinate had forgotten that in the Japanese language as well as several other southeast Asian countries, they read from right to left, not left to right as he had just done.

Boris and his crew charged into Ryozanpaku without realized they were heading to the heart of their enemies base.

They first opened the doors, discovering that they were heavier compared to the past doors, but nothing of challenge yet. One of the subordinates commented on how all of Japan's dojo seemed weak, but Boris corrected him saying that it was because they were strong. As they charged in, a log trap suddenly came swinging towards them. Boris managed to dodge it, as did several others, but one of them took the full brunt of the hit. One of the other subordinate had been ready to help free their trapped comrade, only for Boris to stop him. After careful examination, Boris managed to find the key spot to dismantling the trap. Trying to do so any other way would result in more traps activating, which caused a shiver to go up Boris's spine.

"Finally, a dojo with some backbone," grinned Boris as he tossed a grappling hook to the roof after disabling the trap. The man was knocked out unconscious, leaving only six of them now. Once they made it to the roof, Boris carefully scanned the area, noting four more traps before using hand signs to convey the plans. They would split into three teams of two, and their mission priority was to take out any targets within. Once done, they would meet up at the building in the middle to rendezvous.

* * *

"Ah, a trap activated," noted Shigure from the main dojo.

"Relax, it's probably Kenichi and them," said Sakaki as he drank from his beer bottle, "We did warn him to be prepared for anything. Akisame and the others agreed that putting these traps was the best way for them all to prepare themselves for going into the world of martial arts."

"Oh... ok," said Shigure, plopping back down to the floor.

It was the truth as they did want Kenichi and the others to prepare by setting up traps for them. However, they did not know that Boris Ivanov was the one who was currently invading. Niijima had told them that he would be invading, but had not given the specific date as it when. It was impossible to predict such a thing with the timeline changing. Kenichi had phoned them saying that the majority of the Shinpaku Alliance people would be coming over.

"Ahh, it's so boring," grumbled Sakaki as he sipped on his beer.

Shigure then plopped onto Sakaki, surprising him.

"Then do you... want to do something... with me?" asked Shigure.

Sakaki almost choked on his beer before pushing Shigure off him.

* * *

Subordinate A, codenamed D3 and the one with a bandanna, was approaching a barely opened door. Hiding from the side, he used Cornershot to peek around the edge. However, upon rounding the corner, all he could see was pitch black, which was curious as the room was clearly lit. He looked down before freezing in shock to see another Cornershot camera looking right at him.

"I wonder who's here?" said Kensei with a grin before opening the door.

D3 quickly back flipped away to avoid being caught before landing on something that triggered one of Akisame's machine. Several wooden dolls quickly sprung up, electricity crackling in each hand. D3 began to punch them down, only to have them spring back up with even more power. Suddenly, the floor beneath him began to move. D3 began having to fight and run for his life.

"Ah perfect, I see that you've acquainted yourself with our newest machine," said Kensei with a smile, "Akisame was actually running out of ideas when he thought, why not combine some machines? So we decided to not only train how to fight multiple enemies, but also run while doing so. Afterall, an opponent isn't going to stay still all the time. So, what are your thoughts?"

"Gyaaa!" screamed D3 as he failed to hit a target and was promptly tazed.

* * *

"D3, what's wrong?" asked D4, who was bald and wore a headband, "D3 respond!"

All D4 could hear was screams before falling silent.

"He couldn't have been defeated... right?" said D4 to himself as he cautiously hugged the wall while sneaking around. He stopped when he suddenly saw Tochumaru standing in front of him.

"A mouse?" D4 voiced out loud.

Tochumaru whipped out his nunchucks before showing off his moves. The sweat drops progressively grew on D4's head as Tochumaru finished showing off, his eyes glowing as he motioned for D4 to come at him.

D4 promptly turned around in time to see Noir the cat pushing a wooden post clealry bigger than him. Before D4 could question this, Noir promptly stood on two legs and unsheathed his claws in his forelegs. He turned to the wooden post and began attacking it. Noir slashed at it twice before jumping in the air, continuing to swipe at the post. He weaved and dodge, going around the post, zigzagging as he did so until finally stopping. The wooden post, which had been a block of wood, had been carved into a blocky version of Tochumaru while Noir's claws still gleamed sharply.

[ _Impossible]_ said D4 to himself as he turned back around and tried to avoid touching Tochumaru.

Tochumaru squeaked in anger as he jumped towards D4's face while Noir hissed in anger and jumped towards his butt.

 _[Stay away from me you nightmares!]_ screamed D4, [ _I'm allergic to you both!]_

* * *

D5 and D6 heard noises emanating from and room and charged in, just to get slammed a swinging stone statue that Akisame had been using to strengthen himself.

* * *

Boris and his right hand man, D2, made it to the center dojo before radioing the others about their status.

"D3-6, respond!" stated D2, "Commander, nobody is responding."

"They've been taken out," concluded Boris before giving a small chuckle.

'Excellent! From the first dojo ever since this mission started, I felt like a machine just going through the works, doing everything that was ordered. But today... I can feel my heart beating! I can feel the excitement!'

Boris decided the time for hiding was done, and opened the dojo doors.

"Dojo master! I request a fair and square bat..."

"Quit making so much noise!" shouted Sakaki, currently in a grumpy mood "I'm trying to drink in peace here!"

"tle," finished Boris as he endured a KI blast from Sakaki. His subordinate did not fair as well as he was knocked unconscious.

Shigure, noticing that the intruder was someone that they didn't know as well as wearing shoes on the dojo mats, quickly responded. She dashed towards the two, her sword unsheathed. Boris, fearing for his life, quickly backflipped away from Shigure. He soon found out that despite his actions, Shigure could have easily knocked him out, or worse, kill him. Instead, she had precisely cut both his subordinate's shoes and his without a scratch.

"In the dojo... you take off your shoes... dojo," said Shigure as she sheathed her sword. **A/N: the joke works better in japanese. When you say please, it's dozo, but she made it a pun.**

That caused Sakaki to break out into giggles, making Shigure blush at this.

'These people aren't normal,' thought Boris before standing up, "I am Boris Ivanov of Yomi! I have been ordered by Yami to conquer this dojo!"

"Then you're in quite the predicament," said Akisame from behind him, causing Boris to freeze up before jumping away.

'I didn't even notice him!' thought Boris before noticing all his subordinates being laid in front of him unconscious. He was curious why D4's face was wreathed in fear while his pants was in shreds.

"... Who are you people?" questioned Boris.

"Didn't you read the sign?" asked Kensei, "This is Ryozanpaku. The place where those who stand at the pinnacle of their martial arts gather."

Boris wanted to slap his forehead at this screwup. He had forgotten to remind his subordinate to read right to left, not left to right. Not only that, but he was at the heart of the enemy territory with no real victory in sight. Still, he had a mission to fulfill, and he would not fail! Before he could issue a challenge out, multiple things happened.

Akisame suddenly rushed towards Boris, forcing him to fall back to avoid getting hit. As he fell down to his rear, a pillow tossed by Akisame suddenly appeared underneath his rear, and Boris found himself in a sitting position. Akisame slammed his palm into the floor, where a peculiar tatami mat suddenly flipped out of the way to reveal a small hole.

Tochumaru quickly bought snacks while Noir grabbed cups, and Akisame had a teapot suddenly placed in between them.

 _[Haha, why don't we hear what you really want first? We can fight later,]_ suggested Akisame in perfect Russian.

Boris warily looked at Akisame for a bit before accepting the tea cup from Noir.

A few minutes into the tea ceremony, Boris certainly seemed to have relaxed.

 _[So your master is Alexander Gaidar. I've heard of him. A master of Combat Sambo, if I'm not mistaken.]_ praised Akisame.

Suddenly, the emergency phone that D2 carried began to ring. Boris glanced at Akisame, who merely gestured for him to pick up, before picking up the phone.

"This is Boris," said Boris.

"Withdraw immediately," commanded Sho.

"What!?" shouted Boris.

"Your subordinates contacted me," continued Sho, "It sounds like you're in quite the predicament."

Boris growled at that statement, though it was true. There was no way he could battle these masters, and the disciple did not seem to be in today.

"Fine," growled Boris.

"Oh good, I was afraid I was going to have to threaten you," said Sho, "Come back to base. The others are already here, and took out a few dojos already."

"How many did they get?" asked Boris.

"Eh, the average between them all was roughly 13 before I recalled them," shrugged Sho.

"If you recalled them before completing 59 on the list... then why didn't you give the order earlier?" asked Boris.

"..." All he got was silence.

"You forgot my number didn't you?" asked Boris.

"SHUT UP AND COME BACK HERE!" shouted Sho before hanging up the phone.

"Well then, it seems like you have to go back," gestured Akisame.

"Indeed," said Boris, giving Akisame a polite bow, "Thank you for the tea."

With all his subordinates back up, Boris and his crew began to walk towards the gate. Just as they did so, Kenichi and his friends came in. Boris, of course, recognized Kenichi as Ryozanpaku's disciple, and would've challenged him if it wasn't for the orders to retreat.

'If I can't fight him, then I'll analyze him instead,' thought Boris as he stared at Kenichi. As the two passed by, Boris's eyes widened in shock. Kenichi seemed like a fangless, clawless animal, but something deep inside showed otherwise. But what it was, he couldn't tell. Martial artists above a certain level always had something different about them. Each member of Yomi that he analyzed had some sort of deep darkness that emanated from their eyes. He had been taught that greater strength could be obtained from this darkness. But yet within Kenichi's eyes, he saw no tint of darkness at all. Even the blonde girl hanging off his arm beside him as well as the others had some darkness. Instead, it was as if Kenichi had discarded that darkness, and found something else. His eyes... they radiated with light instead!

It wasn't just Kenichi, noted Boris. They more he looked at Kenichi and his friends, the more he noticed that each one of them seemed to push the darkness, all of which seemed to be affected by Kenichi. Except for the weird one with pointy ears. He seemed steeped into something else, something elderith like, to which he had no interest at. Especially since he didn't seem to be a martial artist anyway.

'I'll have to take note of this,' thought Boris to himself before he and his men dashed away.

"What was all that about?" asked Takeda curiously.

"That would be Yomi," snickered Niijima, "Looks like they chose the wrong day to invade."

Of course, Niijima was glad that Kenichi didn't fight Boris. The longer Yomi and Yami were kept in the dark about Kenichi's skill, the better. He couldn't let his most valuable piece/friend be harmed.

As the masters of Ryozanpaku watched Boris leave, they knew the shots had been fired, and soon the battle would begin.

* * *

 **And here we go into to Yomi/Yami! It's gonna be fun writing the next few chapters out for sure.**

 **Honestly, with Ukita, I was confused on how to make him stronger until I thought of the video game idea and the Yamamoto family. I was even considering making an OC, but that wouldn't feel right. Though if I had to make one, I definitely would've made Abel from Street Fighter as Ukita's master. Seriously, I'm surprised nobody's attempted a Kenichi/Street Fighter Cross over. Feel like it would be interesting to try. Could have Juri as Kisara's master, too, or Chun Li, thought Juri makes more sense, as they both Tae Kwan Doe. E Honda would be Thor's master. Possibly Duddley as another master for Takeda. Nanase as Freya's master. Quite a bit of potential.**

 **And now for the bad news... kinda. Next month, I will NOT be updating ANY of my stories. The reason for this... is basically because I'm going to be spending pretty much all my free time playing KH3. No life threatening crisis or anything, but let's face it, I'm not going to have time to write, nor will I want to, when I got KH3, which I have been waiting for ages.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello Everyone! I'm still alive, thank you very much! Hope you enjoy this new chapter.**

 **Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!**

 **This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve!**

 **Also, heads up in this chapter as there will be people talking in different languages. So by default, they speak Japanese. Anything like this:** _[_ _Dialogue_ _]_ **Means that the people are talking in a different language**

* * *

Ogata was just humming to himself on a ship when a Hurricane Class Submarine suddenly appeared on the port side of the ship. Sighing, he decided to go down to visit whom he knew was in the submarine. Upon entering, he saw rows of beautifully sculpted marble statues and Alexander Gaidar, the man known as the Fist of Destruction, was delicately sculpting another statue with a peaceful visage on his face. That instantly changed when Alexander slammed his unfinished sculpture against Ogata, who destroyed it while wrecking quite a few other statues at the same time.

"All members of Yomi had 58 dojos on their list! So why did mine have 59!?" accused Alexander before calming down and turned back to painting, "You're the one that sent my disciple to Ryozanpaku, aren't you?"

"I was merely following orders as caretaker of Yomi," smiled Ogata, "I was the last one to join Yami, after all. Plus, I thought you would be happy that your disciple would get the opening shot. It's an honor, isn't it? Not to mention he returned safe and sound."

While Alexander refused to comment and ended the conversation, Ogata sighed as he jumped back to his ship. Truth be told, he had wanted to see more of Kenichi's skills. He was very interested in how such a young boy was already capable of kneading Ki at a Master level. Despite all of Kushinada's bragging about how her disciple was the prodigy, to which he would admit she was, it was nothing compared to Kenichi.

"Oh well, there will be other chances," shrugged Ogata, "I'm sure Fortuna and Deigo will come up with something."

* * *

Meanwhile, Kenichi and Miu were walking home, holding hands together as they did so.

"It's been a while since we just did this, hasn't it?" asked Miu as she smiled, "Just holding hands while walking. Your hands feel so big and safe."

"Yea... and slightly bloody," commented Kenichi as he glanced back at the three unconscious bodies. The three of them had challenged Kenichi to a fight, only to be swiftly knocked out by both of them. Miu had been displeased as one of them had almost stepped on a stray cat's tail, and so her hands... were currently not the cleanest.

"What was that?" asked Miu sharply.

"Nothing!" squeaked Kenichi, "I mean, yeah you're right, it's been a while since we just did this!"

They continued on the path home when Kenichi remembered their homeroom teacher, Fukujiro Yasunaga, mentioned about the upcoming class trip to the mountains.

"Miu, will you be alright?" asked Kenichi, "The trip is coming up. Do you still..."

"I …. should be fine," sighed Miu, "At this point, it's psychological now. Even despite knowing the truth, I still get a small fever during blizzards. I'm trying to break out of it, but it's still something that eats at me."

"Miu, no matter what happens, I'll be by your side," said Kenichi softly.

"Kenichi," whispered Miu back.

The two of them began to lean close to each other for a kiss when...

"Ahem!"

The two quickly jumped back to see the Elder glaring at them. The couple blushed and separated from each other less they annoy the Elder further.

"Come," said the Elder, "We have guests."

The guests were other dojos that had challenged Ryozanpaku before who wanted to join them in their fight against Yami. It was heartwarming to see more dojos who embraced Katsujinken instead of Satsujinken. Kenichi was especially glad to see the Tanaka family standing in the dojo as well as the Yamamoto family. Each one pledged to help support Ryozanpaku when they could.

* * *

Back at one of Yomi's base, Boris threw himself into training once more. While practicing Combat Sambo, he couldn't take his mind off of Kenichi. How that mysterious light that seemed to radiate strength while his other senses told him that Ryozanpaku's Strongest Disciple was a weakling. It was a paradox to him.

"Perhaps I should ask Tirawit Kokin," mumbled Boris, "His analysis is just as good as mine."

"Hoo, I see you're still here," commented Radin Tidat Jihan as he entered the room, "It's been awhile. I heard that you rushed straight into the enemy's main base, and was put under house arrest because of it."

Boris ignored him as he swiftly got his dummy into a choke hold, slowly crushing its fake neck.

"If it had been me, I would've ignored the orders and waited for the strongest disciple to come back and take his head," continued Jihan.

"Orders are absolute!" replied Boris before swiftly decapitating the dummy's head with a forceful chokehold grip, "Besides... despite not even raising a fist, I could tell that I would most likely be no match for him."

"With just a glance?" questioned Jihan, "Have you been smoking something weird or eaten something ?"

"I take no drugs and always maintain a healthy diet to perform at my best," shot back Boris, "But the truth is, that mysterious light in his eyes when I first saw him... I can't understand what that light is. But I can tell that he is most likely above all of us in Yomi. Only Sparna, Satomi Kajima, Ethan Stanley, Tirawit Kokin, and perhaps you yourself could possibly match him."

'And that's a very low estimate,' added Boris to himself, 'They'd have to team up.'

Jihan scoffed but made no comment about the choice of members that had been given. As much as he hated to admit, the four names given were the powerhouses of Yomi. They were the strongest in their group, though Jihan would have placed himself a bit higher in that group, possibly above Ethan and on par with Tirawit.

"Hmph, I'll fight him, and I'll certainly win," proclaimed Jihan as he took off his hood, "After all, though you are good at fighting, you are just a soldier, while I am a king."

* * *

The day of the snow trip came, and while Miu was absolutely shredding the advance course in snowboarding, she wasn't the only one that was catching attention.

"Whoa look at Fuurinji go! Look at that air time!"

"What about the transfer girl!? She's doing just as well as Fuurinji!"

Indeed, Renka had joined them in the trip and was also doing tricks on the snowboard despite it being her first time snowboarding.

As for Kenichi... he ate the snow once again.

"You'd think that you have more experience in martial arts you'd be better at sports," commented Niijima.

"Hey, I was doing well until my board hit a rock!" shouted Kenichi.

Indeed, Kenichi had been doing decent on snowboarding, having a better understanding of his center of gravity, but as he was going down, he hadn't noticed a rock jutting out and tripped on it. Then they both heard their teachers commenting about how some rich important foreigners that had rented half of the mountain.

"Is it him?" whispered Kenichi.

"From what I gathered, the employees were talking about a rich foreign person with dark skin, and there was the mention of Tidat. So yes, it's most likely him," replied Niijima, "How do you want to play this out?"

Kenichi frowned as his mind flashed back to the first time he met Jihan. Though it was a rocky start and a rather still rocky finish, Kenichi knew Jihan learned and grew after their fight. A kind old man showed Jihan a new path that he had never seen before, according to him. But could they risk putting Jihan through another avalanche? There was no guarantee he would live through it again.

"I'll... see how it goes," sighed Kenichi, "But I'm not going to get myself caught in a trap again. Miu seriously fell ill just trying to rescue me. I won't risk her life again."

"Should you even be here?" snarked Natsu as he slid to a stop next to them, "With Yami and Yomi's open declaration of war, why are you so carelessly taking part on this ski trip?"

"Relax, we got this," smiled Kenichi, "My masters gave me permission to come. Plus, they promised to have at least one master on the lookout while I'm here.".

* * *

 _Back at Ryozanapaku_

"Weren't you supposed to go with them!?" shouted Sakaki.

"No, I said I would definitely go if they were headed to the hot springs!" fired back Kensei, defending himself.

Shigure and Apachai were about to volunteer when Akisame stopped them, saying it was pointless.

"Plus, the Elder already left to watch over them," added Akisame.

"Ah, that explains why he hasn't said anything," blinked Sakaki before turning to Kensei, "You're lucky he has you covered. Remember what they told us that happened to this trip? Especially with Miu and Silkwat Jenazad? It's no wonder the Elder left without saying anything, he must be worried that he'll try to kidnap her even early. You best hope he doesn't have some sort of punishment for you when he gets back."

Kensei blinked before paling at the thought. He had let his perverted sense take over again.

Indeed, the Elder was watching Miu and Kenichi from a distance inside the community lodgings.

"Sir, would you like something?" asked a waitress, slightly unnerved by how tall the Elder was.

"Just a cup of hot water will do," replied the Elder politely as he pulled out a small pouch that was filled with tea leaves.

* * *

"So I have full confidence in my masters," Kenichi finished off.

"Hmph, must be nice to have masters that stick with you," huffed Natsu as he thought about his own master, Ba Sogetsu.

"Hey, hey, what are we talking about?" piped up Renka as she landed near them.

"Nothing, but I'm surprised you're not half naked despite the snow," snarked Natsu.

"Mm, you would like that wouldn't you?" smiled Renka as she leaned forward, pulling her red snow jacket down a bit to reveal her chest, "Finally going to admit you're attracted to me?"

"Not in the least," fired back Natsu, though slightly blushing. When Renka pulled down her jacket, he saw far more than he wanted to, as Renka had either forgone wearing a bra or was wearing a very skimpy one. He mentally cursed Sho for that comment about Chinese dresses, as Renka was now teasing him more about that. It was only for a few topics that the magazine had about... he would deny everything else.

While they were talking, a small foreign girl named Sham was analyzing the situation before her. Her initial plan was to feign innocence before tricking Kenichi off a cliff. Her allies would distract Kenichi's friends so they wouldn't notice her. However, there were far more people that were stubbornly sticking around him. Not only that, but each one of them were martial artists, which raised the difficulty. Except for the weird pointy ear person, he was just weird.

 _[Fall Back.]_ muttered Sham to her allies, [ _Situation has proven difficult to use plan A. Tell his majesty that Plan B may be required.]_

 _[Acknowledged.]_ nodded her allies.

* * *

"Weird," muttered Kenichi as night fell upon them, "I was supposed to have been ambushed already."

"Did they change their minds?" pondered Miu, sitting in the same bedroom with him.

"Who knows?" shrugged Niijima, "Isn't this better? Last time was very risky. We were lucky that a search party found us pretty quickly despite the avalanche. Can't depend on that happening to us again."

Kenichi, Niijima, and Natsu were all sharing the same room while Miu and Renka had their own. However, Natsu was currently at the gift shopping looking to buy a small souvenir for Kaede while Renka went along with him for some reason.

"Maybe because Boris didn't challenge you back at Ryozanpaku, that caused Jihan not to be interested in you?"

"But why rent half the mountain still?" argued Kenichi.

The three continued to contemplate the reasoning until Niijima detected someone coming to their room with his 'Niijima senses'.

"Excuse me, but someone left this letter for you," said one of the staff, presenting a letter for Kenichi.

"Thank you," thanked Kenichi as he took the letter, glancing at it to see elegant handwriting addressed to him. Taking a deep breath, he opened the letter.

 _Dear Peasant,_

 _You are hereby invited to come to my manor. Be grateful, as I do not invite anybody to just come. Participation is mandatory, otherwise, your classmates will suffer the consequences. I will graciously allow you to have four other people with you if you feel unsafe. Just come out to the entrance of your current lodgings, and my servants will escort you to my current residence._

 _From, the supreme king of Tidat, ruler of all his subjects,_

 _Radin Tidat Jihan_

"Urg, still a jerk as usual," groaned Kenichi as he finished reading the letter.

"I guess we have no choice but to go," frowned Miu, "Otherwise we'll be putting the others in danger.

"Hold on, I'm not going!" Niijima frantically waved his arms, "I'm not a fighter! I go there, and I'm just extra baggage for you!"

"Would it be safer to leave you here then?" asked Kenichi curiously, not disagreeing with Niijima, "Don't they know you're the governor general of Shinpaku, and therefore a viable target?"

"Maybe," admitted Niijima, "But I don't think they know it's me specifically. From my wiretapping, Ogata didn't mention the members of the Shinpaku alliance by names, only my organization in general. And I doubt that Jihan would bother looking into my organization and its members."

After a small debate, it was decided that Niijima would stay behind, but not before passing out communicators that could fit in their ears as well as a tracking device hidden in their clothes.

"How did you get these stuff?" asked Kenichi suspiciously as he put the device within his shirt pocket while Miu put hers... between her chest.

"When Gauche put all his items for sale for charity," replied Niijima honestly, "I should thank you for that opportunity."

Kenichi facepalmed at this before muttering about his worst best friend taking advantage of the situation before preparing to leave with Miu, with Niijima accompanying them out of the room.

"Going somewhere?" sniped Natsu just as they left the door.

"Uhh," started Kenichi, starting to sweat a bit.

"I saw the foreigners," said Natsu as his eyes narrowed, "They're from Yami, or more specifically, Yomi, aren't they?"

"You're going to a fight... without us!?" grinned Renka, "You can't leave us out of the action!"

"Who says I want to be involved?" scoffed Natsu, "I just don't want to get in trouble in a school trip due to your recklessness. And how do you expect to go out with the teachers watching the lounges? Especially when they are going to do a roll call later on this evening?"

"Urgh," groaned both Kenichi and Miu. The last time, after the trip was done, the two had been forced to serve detention for not returning before the curfew. Despite the fact that it hadn't been their fault at all, they were still punished severely.

Natsu sighed before motioning them to follow him. When they reached the lounge, Natsu went to their homeroom teacher, and after a brief discussion, came back to them with a note.

"There," said Natsu, flipping the note over to Kenichi, "I told the teacher that a respectable foreigner with ties to the business world wanted to have a discussion with me and my company. I told him that I would be bringing you lot with me, so the teacher already excused us from the evening role on the condition that we be back before noon tomorrow."

"Whoa, I'm not going!" insisted Niijima once more, "If I go, I'm just a target for them to pick on! Plus I can render assistance from the outside if needed!"

Natsu scoffed and called Niijma a coward, but let it go as Niijima wasn't a martial artist like them. Soon enough, the four of them left the building just to be surrounded by several male Indonesian natives.

"Our prince demands your presence," stated one of the foreigners.

Instantly, the four of them were on a sled being pulled by a snowmobile, followed by several others surrounding them. They traveled to the reserved area of the mountain and pulled up to a hotel manor with the red carpet and petals waiting for them.

* * *

"Are you alright Miu?" asked Kenichi softly, as while they had been traveling, a blizzard had started to kick up.

"I'm fine," insisted Miu, though she started to breathe heavily and was lightly sweating.

They soon entered the manor, taking a relieved sigh as the heated air hit them, and followed the servants into a room where Jihan himself was sitting on an elevated stage and couch to look down on them while Indonesian female dancers/servants attended to his whim and entertainment, wearing rather skimpy clothes that would be very ill-suited for the blizzard outside.

"Ah, welcome to my temporary residence," greeted Jihan, "I see you decided to take up my invitation."

"Not much of an invitation when you threatened other people lives," muttered Kenichi to himself.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable here," continued Jihan, "I bought a bit of my kingdom's paradise here."

"From the Tidat kingdom, right?" stated Natsu as he narrowed his eyes.

"Ah, you know of my kingdom," smiled Jihan while Renka tilted her head in confusion, having never heard of that kingdom, "Though your female companion seems to be uncultured in it. Such a shame, as it should be in the center of the maps."

"Uncultured?" growled Renka, "I'll show you un-"

Natsu promptly placed his hand on Renka's mouth, glaring at her to shut up. Despite Tidat being a small kingdom and smaller culture in terms of China, Natsu just wanted Jihan to hurry up and state what he wanted.

"For now, please, warm yourselves up and rest for a little. What I have to say can wait," proclaimed Jihan as he snapped his fingers. The female servants began to present them with hot towels and drinks, even offering Renka and Miu clothes to switch into, though they were the same dancing clothes they were wearing.

A few minutes later, Miu began to feel a bit faint. Renka frowned before putting her hand on Miu's forehead.

"Geez, you're feeling a bit hot!" yelped Renka, "You weren't like this earlier today! Maybe take off some clothes to cool down."

Suddenly, each female dancer and male servant drew out weapons, ranging from short curved swords to a variety of poles.

"Ah, don't worry," smirked Jihan, "It's just our culture's dance for entertaining guests."

Renka narrowed her eyes as she observed the dance movements, "Hmph, in the Qing Dynasty of China, martial arts were once banned. To hide and escape the persecution, techniques were passed down through the hidden movements in dances. We can all tell that these aren't dances, but real martial arts!"

"Hoo, so you're not an uncultured swine like I thought," stated Jihan as he stood up, "I suppose I should introduce myself properly. I am the crown prince of Tidat, Radin Tidat Jihan, also known as Nagaraja of Yomi, the King."

The servants all began to surround the four as Jihan continued, "The original plan was to lure the Strongest Disciple by himself here. Unfortunately, luck would seem to be on your side as my agent could not do so. So plan B was formed instead. Show me your skill, strongest disciple and friends."

As one, Jihan's servants all attacked. As the fight went on, Jihan began rambling about how 99.9% were commoners, and that there were only a chosen few that could be kings. He stated that out of the four of them, only Miu, Natsu, and Renka were the possible few while Kenichi was a peasant. Unfortunately, Jihan had not noticed the key detail that the ones attacking Kenichi were females, to which he would not attack.

Miu was starting to feel dizzier and dizzier when she made a mistake. When one of the servants attacked her from behind, she resorted to using Supreme Silat to counter.

"STOP!" shouted Jihan, causing the servants to stop in confusion, "You, Furinji Miu. That was Silat, wasn't it? And not just Pencak Silat, but Supreme Silat! Who taught you!? There's only one man who I know that knows that, and that is my Guru."

Miu could only cough in reply as her fever had turned for the worse.

"Hmph, no matter," said Jihan as he shrugged off his cloak, "The crime for using true Silat, Supreme Silat, without the consent of my people is punishable by death, even if your grandfather is the Invincible Superman. However, seeing that you are one of the few chosen ones, I will offer you another choice. Become... my wife!"

Jaws dropped from Kenichi, Renka, and Natsu while Choju Giga animals bounced around their heads.

"Yes, you would be a perfect candidate. Strong, elegant, beautiful, and most likely intelligent. Suitable for a king. Yes, I shall lay my claim upon you! Become mine, and I will let the others go! Whatever you desire, I can provide! Servants, capture them!"

Suddenly, he felt a cold chill shoot through his spine. Scratch that, he felt two cold glares shooting at him. One was obviously from the peasant, Kenichi. The other one seemed to be glaring from outside the manor, and was the more worrisome one. However, that flew out of the window as he quickly had to move his head left to dodge a flying body that went flying past him.

Kenichi, for all his patience, had finally reached a snapping point. He had to deal with other schoolmates trying to hit on Miu, he had to deal with the Elder always keeping an eye on him, though not as much recently, he had to deal with Sho hitting on his girlfriend... again... and now Jihan wanted to claim her. A man could only deal with so much shit.

Kenichi pummeled all the male servants unconscious, sending them flying into various parts of the walls. As for the female dancers... well since most of the ones still standing had a cloth that was attached from their wrists to their waists, Kenichi managed to pull those clothes loose and tie up their hands. Despite his anger, Kenichi still kept his principle and did not hit women. Though he did secretly learn some... interesting techniques when he told Kensei about his rope tying skills.

"So this is the 'mysterious light' that Boris was talking about," blinked Jihan.

Both Renka and Natsu also had to blink in surprise. They both knew Kenichi was strong, but they didn't know to what extent. But just now, they just barely saw Kenichi move in a blur.

"Heh, looks like Boris wasn't wrong," stated Jihan before getting into a fighting position, "But you will become prey to my fist! I, crown prince of Tidat and Nagaraja of Yomi, shall be your opponent for the hand of the fair lady Mi-"

Jihan didn't get to finish as his instincts screamed at him to move. Jihan jumped back just as Kenichi missed an overhand hammer smash, crushing the floor where he once stood. Yet Jihan couldn't take advantage of this as Kenichi dashed forward, tackling him in the stomach.

"Bastard," coughed out Jihan as he tried to scratch Kenichi's eyes out with his fingers, only for Kenichi to slap away the offending hand and landing a punch to his stomach.

Jihan felt the wind blown out of him, barely registering the fact that Kenichi had grabbed his arm and performed a perfect overhead throw, hurling him right into his servants. Kenichi jumped off the stage and tried to stomp Jihan, only for his servants to quickly pull him away to safety. Before Kenichi could rush at Jihan, Miu's voice cut through the haze.

"Kenichi!"

Kenichi immediately stopped as he blinked, trying to shake off the sudden anger that coursed through him.

"What just... what did I just do?" asked Kenichi, shaking his head to clear up his head, "All I remember is Jihan declaring something stupid and then... did I just use purely Dou Ki in anger?"

Miu wasn't able to respond as she collapsed onto the floor, having used all her strength to snap Kenichi back into reality.

"Miu!" cried out Kenichi as he quickly dashed towards her, cradling her in his arms.

"Her fever skyrocketed," analyzed Renka as she felt Miu's forehead once more, "Did she eat something before coming here? She wasn't like this before!"

"Doesn't matter, we should get out of here," snapped Natsu as more servants came rushing in now.

Kenichi lifted Miu bridal style and nodded to Renka, who understood what he was going for.

"We're getting out of here!" shouted Renka as she charged towards the group. Kenichi almost face faulted at that, as it was not the message he wanted to send out.

Luckily, Natsu understood what Kenichi wanted, and managed to yank Renka back.

"Idiot, he means to break through the windows!" shouted Natsu as he grabbed a random servant's body and hurled him out of the window, breaking the glass, "Going through the mass will only be a waste of time! Faster we get out, faster we get Furinji to a doctor!"

"Boo, that's boring," pouted Renka.

Nonetheless, Natsu jumped out first to secure the landing, followed by Kenichi and Miu, and then Renka taking up the rear. After landing, the three of them began to run, hoping to find their way back.

"Your majesty!" shouted the servants, quickly helping Jihan up, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," grumbled Jihan before shouting, "Go after them! I will not let the strongest disciple and a potential queen escape from me!"

"Yes sir!" shouted the servants, quickly leaving to get the snowmobiles up and running.

"Shirahama Kenichi," growled Jihan as he rubbed his stomach, "It seems there is more to you than meets the eye."

* * *

The group trundled through the snow, the blizzard slowing growing worse.

"I can walk," insisted Miu, though still breathing heavily.

"Not now," replied Kenichi, "You can barely even stand."

Suddenly, they heard the roar of engines in the air. Seconds later, four snowmobiles came flying through the air, and Radin jumped off one of them, attacking Kenichi once more.

'I have you now!' thought Radin as he saw Kenichi's hands were occupied holding his future queen.

He was in for a surprise as Kenichi jumped up high off the ground, despite the snowy terrain, and met Jihan with a kick. Jihan quickly put his arms up to block the kick, just to feel his arms almost break from the force of the kick. Stuffing the groans of pain, Jihan managed to recover in the air, landing softly on some rocks covered in snow before assuming a Pencak Silat stance.

"I won't let you run away with the title of strongest as well as my future bride," declared Jihan, "For the title of strongest belongs to my martial arts, Pencak Silat, as well as the most beautiful one of all. A bride who already practices such art is the most suitable for me."

Kenichi felt a muscle tick on his forehead once more as he faced Jihan. Knowing he was limited, he was about to hand Miu to Renka when a rope suddenly came flying in, roping Miu around the waist. Before any of them could react, the male servant was already driving away with his prize.

"Miu!" cried out Kenichi as he began to rush forward to chase after Miu.

"Shirahama, look out!" shouted Natsu.

Kenichi turned around to see Jihan leaping towards him. Kenichi quickly put up his guard up, catching the attacking arm with his hand.

"We'll save her, you focus on your fight!" shouted Renka as she and Natsu dashed away.

"Hmph, useless," sighed Jihan as he managed to jump back, "They won't be able to catch up. My men should be taking her to my private helicopter, where we will take her to one of our bases. You might as well say your goodbyes. Perhaps I'll let you see her again... if I send you a wedding invitation."

Jihan blinked as he looked to where Kenichi was... just to see an empty outline of where Kenichi had been.

"MIU!" shouted Kenichi as he ran, managing to rush right pass Renka and Natsu, who looked quite surprised at his burst of speed.

Whether by coincidence or not, when Kenichi had been carrying Miu, Miu had started to recover a bit. Despite the blistering cold and the psychological effect on her, being close to Kenichi allowed her to be able to smell his scent and feel the warm, protective and loving aura he exuded. It chased away the nightmares that plagued her. So as soon as one of the servants tried to pull Miu up onto his snowmobile to tie her up some more, Miu quickly struck. Knocking out the man, Miu quickly took control of the snowmobile and turned it around. The three other snowmobiles also turned around, chasing after Miu to capture her once more.

"Kenichi, jump!" shouted Miu as she steered closer to him.

Kenichi, with no hesitation, jumped off the cliff towards Miu.

In the old timeline, Kenichi had jumped off and completely missed his target, undershooting it, resulting in him faceplanting into the snow, followed by Miu running him over by accident before going around and successfully grabbing his hand.

This time, the good news was that Kenichi jumped and successfully landed on a snowmobile!

The bad news, he overshot and landed on one of the other three snowmobiles chasing after Miu.

The servant made a noise of surprise and tried to throw Kenichi off, but before he could do so, Renka landed behind the man and threw him off. Giving her a look of thanks, Kenichi jumped once more and managed to land behind Miu while Natsu jumped onto Renka's snowmobile. Together, they drove off while the other two followed after them.

"Hmph, stubborn to the end," scoffed Jihan as he signaled his some of his other men to ready up the other snowmobiles to chase after them, "Always struggling. But there are things that can't be won just by struggling alone."

"Hoo, you're fighting an interesting enemy," said a voice behind Jihan.

Jihan turned around before politely bowing to the newcomer, "I have not been in contact with you for a while, guru."

The shadow let up to reveal Demon God Fist, Silkwat Jenazad, who was currently enjoying an apple while still wearing his trademark demonic mask.

"In the past... I fought a man who smells just like that boy," mused Jenazad as he watched the four getting farther away. He sent a frighteningly cold glare at Kenichi, who shivered before looking back to see Jenazad. All four of them felt chills up their spines as Jenazad flared his Ki.

Sensing the Demon Fist's Ki, Kenichi unconsciously flared his back to fight against it while also soothing Miu and the others. His mind couldn't help but flashback to when Miu had been brainwashed. To the uncaring Jenazad, who only wanted to kill. To the last image that he remembered was Jenazad standing on the tower, already dead while a brainwashed Miu was trying to bind his wounds, and yet he stood there strong and ready.

For Miu, she had to fight off the fear that she had for Jenazad. The memory of Kenichi almost dying due to Jenazad's interference during Sakaki and Hongo's duel. The pain as Jenazad forced amnesia upon her and brainwashed her. The fact that she attacked Kenichi with the intent of killing him because of Jenazad.

Then, she felt Kenichi's Ki wrap around her, as if protecting her. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the matter on hand, escaping back to their class.

"Hoo, interesting," mused Jenazad as he felt Kenichi's Ki flare back before he reigned it back in. Jihan was still shaking off his own master's ki and hadn't noticed Kenichi's Ki.

"Make sure you kill him," stated Jenazad as he nonchalantly tossed the apple core away. The wind picked it up and made it fly towards Kenichi, who caught it before tossing it away.

"Even if it kills you," finished off Jenazad, knowing that it was highly improbable that his disciple would win. Though it didn't matter, really. If Jihan died, then there would most likely be a civil war in his country, which would mean he could kill again. Though Jihan was reasonably talented, Jenazad didn't care and had always secretly boasted he could raise another disciple just as well as his current one within a short time span.

"As you wish, guru," acknowledged Jihan before hesitantly adding, "Ummm guru, did you have another disciple that you taught Supreme Silat?"

"Hmm?" responded Jenazad as he tilted his head, "As far as I'm aware of, there is nobody alive whom I taught anyone of my fist, Supreme Silat."

Which was true, as most of his disciples/followers all used Pencak Silat. There only one currently alive that was Supreme Silat was the brainwashed disciple that he kidnapped from the Yami armed division, and he used weapons, not his fists.

"Guru, I only ask because the Fuurinji Miu used Supreme Silat when fighting," Jihan quickly explained, not wanting to draw in his Guru's ire.

"Fuurinji you say?" asked Jenazad, pondering about this.

The fact the granddaughter of his most hated person and ex-friend had Supreme Silat mixed into her martial arts was intriguing. How could she have learned it? Perhaps the grandfather had used some of his moves and taught it to Miu? Perhaps the father was secretly still in contact with her. There were quite a few possibilities, as he had fought the Elder in what would've been a death match if it wasn't for the fact that the Elder proposed to stop as he had a boat to catch. The reason for such a fight... Jenazad didn't remember why, just something happened, and he really didn't care. The father was another possibility as there was also a chance that the Elder taught him directly. He hadn't fought Saiga before, but there was no reason not to suspect him. Especially since he had a feeling the 'Furinji Saiga' that was currently sitting as the leader of One Shadow Nine Fist was not who he claimed to be.

"I have already sent orders to capture her," continued Jihan, "With your permission, I intend to take her as my wife."

"... Yes, yes that would be excellent," grinned Jenazad, "Then go my disciple. Kill that 'strongest' disciple and bring me the girl. Kill any others who get in your way."

* * *

Kenichi and Natsu were driving the snowmobiles with Miu and Renka hugging their driver's back, trying to head down the mountain as quickly as possible towards their cabins. They had a feeling that if they made it back, then Yomi would be forced to back off due to their agreements with the government. Meanwhile, Miu was trying to calm down and regulate her breathing, fighting the fever that threatened to incapacitate her once more, taking in Kenichi's warmth.

"Are you sure we're going the right way!?" shouted Renka, making sure her voice carried through the blizzard, "I think we were supposed to make a left back at the trees!"

"I know where I'm going exhibitionist!" snapped back Natsu, causing the two of them to squabble once more.

Suddenly, their engines died on them for no apparent reason. Renka whacked the engine a few times, hoping that it would kickstart it, but in the end, they had to abandon the vehicles and escape on foot. Before they could get far, though, they were quickly surrounded.

"It seems like it was a good idea to have our snowmobiles equipped with a tracking device as well as an electronic disabling device," grinned Jihan as he showed up once more, "I'll only say this once more. Give me the girl and the strongest disciple. I'd rather leave this country as soon as possible with my future queen and show off to my master. All this nonsense of the four seasons, getting hot then getting cold. In my country, there is only one weather."

Kenichi took a deep breath and then exhaled. He did it again three more times while slowly walking forward, leaving Renka and Natsu to take care of Miu.

"Come now, stop resisting," spouted Jihan, "I've heard of your relationship with the girl, but surely you can see she will be better off with me. I can give her anything she wants while you can't peasant."

Seeing Kenichi just standing there now, Jihan decided he was tired and got into a fighting position, his hands clasped together as if praying.

"I will finish this in a few Juls," bragged Jihan before deciding to go on the attack. He didn't want to, as he wanted Kenichi to crawl up to him like peasant to a king, but Kenichi was seemingly refusing to go on the attack.

Jihan attacked, aiming to blind Kenichi with his finger swipes, when everything went wrong, or rather according to himself. Before his fingers came close, Jihan felt his world turn upside down quite literally, his whole body in pain. He felt something soft and cold behind his whole back while white lights with a black background filled his vision. Jihan took a second to realize that he was flat on his back on the snow while he was looking at the night sky. The sky looked quite beautiful in his mind before he realized he was in the middle of a fight. Jihan quickly flipped away, which was an excellent decision as Kenichi's stomp missed him barely. If it had landed, it would have surely knocked Jihan out.

Jihan shook his head, trying to figure out what had just happened. To the other's point of view, though, they saw what happened, though only Natsu and Renka were able to truly see everything.

Jihan's swipe to Kenichi's eyes had been blocked by a left forearm guard before it reached its destination. In that same breath, Kenichi had punched Jihan in the face with his right fist. Before Jihan could flinch, though, Kenichi swiftly changed stances, using the left arm he had used to block to suddenly grab Jihan's arm, not allowing Jihan to fall back yet. He quickly clinched Jihan's head, forcing him still before kneeing him twice in the stomach. Then, he swiftly turned the clinch into a takedown throw, hurling Jihan into the snowy floor.

Kenichi then raised his leg, ready to stomp Jihan on the head to knock him out before Jihan managed to snap back to reality and flip away, recovering back near to his servants while trying to figure what just happened. All he knew was that he tried attacking... and then pain. Jihan glared at Kenichi as he slowly registered what Boris had meant. There was clearly more than meets the eye with Kenichi.

"You damn revolutionist," growled Jihan, "That's what you are. Always fighting against the system, wanting to break the balance and annihilate the preordained social standings. You bugs are the scum of humanity! I will stomp such impudent thoughts by any means necessaries!"

Jihan quickly placed his pinky and ring finger to his mouth and whistled into it. The servants nodded and took out their weapons. One of them hurled his weapon at Kenichi, who managed to catch it in mid-flight with his hand.

"Hey, that's cheating!" shouted Renka, "You can't just call your men in the middle of a duel!"

"Hmph, all that matters is that I stand above him," declared Jihan, "A king can never lose. He must not lose! I will have my way, one way or another!"

With a flick of his hand, Jihan's servants all jumped at Kenichi, their blades gleaming in the snow. Though Renka and Natsu shouted out warnings, it wasn't needed. Kenichi had already set up his _**Seikuken**_ and began repelling all the attacks with ease. He grabbed one of the attacker's arm and swung him into another attacker while hitting another attacker behind him with a reverse roundhouse kick. Another servant tried to jump above and stab him in the back, only for Kenichi to suddenly dodge by flipping to a handstand and launching a vertical kick to the chin, knocking him out.

Though Kenichi was still a bit scared of weapons, one thought overrode all of those fear. One promise made him face his fears. One emotion conquered them. To protect Miu.

Just as Kenichi knocked out the last of the servants, he was tackled by Jihan himself in desperation. Kenichi tried to pry Jihan off him, but the tackle coincidentally carried them over a cliff.

"Kenichi!" shouted Renka as the two fell out of sight.

"Damn idiot didn't pay attention to this most important enemy," scoffed Natsu, "C'mon, I'm sure he's too stubborn to die. We need to get Furinji to safety."

Renka pouted but nodded, turning around to where they had left Miu just to find her missing.

"Where'd she go!?" exclaimed Renka.

Natsu narrowed his eyes and slowly tracked the snow trail Miu had left. He saw it leading towards the cliff... before ending there.

Natsu and Renka quickly followed the trail and looked down the cliff to see several rock juttings that could allow them to descend the cliff safely.

"She must have followed them," stated Natsu.

"In her state!?" screeched Renka, "She has to be insane!"

"Well what do you want to do then?" asked Natsu.

"Follow them of course!" exclaimed Renka, preparing to jump down, only for Natsu to pull her back.

"Why did I even bother asking?" said Natsu in an exasperated voice before dragging Renka to the nearest snowmobile. He took a quick glance to find the device that disabled the snowmobile and destroyed it, as it wasn't integrated into the snowmobile's engines.

* * *

Kenichi and Jihan tumbled down the cliff before finally separating from each other. Jihan had gotten a good knee in the tumble, but Kenichi managed to get more powerful blows during the tumble.

"There is no way this is happening," growled Jihan in anger, "How dare you look down on me! I am a king! I will not have some seemingly self-entitled peasant stop me from my path!"

"I don't care," replied Kenichi as he stood up, "I made a promise to protect her!"

"I can do it better than you!" shouted Jihan, "I, who have the riches, could do it better! I, who am the disciple of the Silkwat Jenazad, a man who is practically a god in my country and a fearsome martial artist!"

"Yet if your master demanded her death, you would do so," replied Kenichi calmly, "I made a promise not only to myself but to her and others. And I will continue to do so no matter the time, past or future!"

Jihan bit back a retort. What Kenichi said wasn't something he could easily deny. If his master wanted Miu dead, he would do so without hesitation. Still, it galled him that he had only landed one hit on Kenichi, and that was out of pure desperation.

"Then let our fists finish the conversation," declared Jihan as he stood up, getting into another stance. He would use the 18th Juls stance. Going for the vitals hadn't worked as planned, so he planned to disable Kenichi first. Get rid of the legs and hands, and Kenichi would be open for a vital strike. He dashed forward, going low, barely dodging a thrust from Kenichi.

Jihan then feinted going for his throat before switching over to his left arm, ready to dislocate it. He grabbed it and was about to break it when Kenichi took a deep breath a launched a simple karate thrust with his right hand. Suddenly, the left arm became impossible to break as Kenichi's whole body contracted, forcing Jihan to lose grip.

'That move! It's similar to the time when I tried to break Kano Sho's arms, only for him to use a simple karate move to break out of it!' thought Jihan as he flipped back to the snow, 'What connection does he have with Suparna? Or is it a mere coincidence?'

He, of course, did not know that this move had been inspired by Sho's master himself when he fought Jenazad in the future timeline.

Still, Jihan had a mission to complete! He went at Kenichi with everything he had, attacking low, aiming for vital points, including the groin. Yet he was stopped cold by Kenichi's attack, who seemed to be staring into his eyes and reading his moves.

Kenichi had already activated _**Ryusui Seikuken**_ and was using it to his advantage. He thanked the heavens his spars with Miu helped him get used to Pencak Silat's style, as she mixed it in with her martial arts.

Soon enough, Jihan was breathing heavily, his face bruised while Kenichi was seemingly uninjured and only slightly heaving.

"This... is... impossible!" grunted Jihan as he tried to lift his arms up, "Is this your revolution!? Your attempt to topple down the hierarchy?"

"I could care less," stated Kenichi, "I promised to protect Miu, and I will uphold that promise, no matter what!"

"Kenichi!" shouted Miu as she stumbled on the snowy ground, making her way towards him.

Both boys heard her and turned to her when Jenazad suddenly struck!

In slow motion, Kenichi turned his head towards Jenazad, his eyes widening in shock and fear. Miu tried to run forward to save him, but it was futile. She wasn't fast enough nor close enough, especially with her fever still hindering her.

 _ **Boushinha Shougeki (Amnesia Fist)**_

Jenazad bought both his fists towards Kenichi's head, intent on forcing amnesia upon Kenichi. Ever since he felt Kenichi's Ki, he really was curious about him. Not to mention that he was apparently a direct disciple of his hated friend, the Elder. It would be sweet revenge, as the last battle they had, though it was interrupted, he had to admit it would've ended in his loss. And then, perhaps he would do the same to his own granddaughter!

Then he noticed that his fists had certainly impacted on something, but it definitely didn't feel like it had hit someone's head. A second later, Jenazad had to jump back as a kick almost took off his head. Instead, the kick nicked his mask, shattering a good portion of the right side of his mask.

"This Ki... there's only one man I remember having such a Ki, and only one man who could infuriate me as such... Fuurinji Hayato!" growled Jenazad.

Right before his attack could land, the Elder had intervened just in time, sticking his hands right in between Jenazad's attack and catching it perfectly, saving Kenichi.

"Hmph, to think you'd sink so low to interrupt a disciple's fight," frowned the Elder.

"You and I both know that that brat isn't within the disciple class," sneered Jenazad, "I doubt anyone from Yomi could handle him. As for the other brat, I can easily raise another disciple to his level in a short amount of time. He's a disgrace to Silat! However, your brat seems really interesting. I want him!"

"Get your own," shot back the Elder, "He's not just mine, but all of Ryozanpaku's."

"Hmph, we'll see about that," said Jenazad, analyzing the situation. Knowing the Elder, he would most likely just take the kids and flee to the populated area. Despite the fact that he could easily follow him, it was not the time for Yami to be publicly known yet, much to his displeasure.

"Guru!?" said a shocked Jihan, unable to believe his master would interfere in a fight as well as dismiss him.

For Miu, though, she was suddenly having flashbacks. The snowy blizzard that was going on while her mother tried to escape for their safety. The attempt to hide her. The sight of witnessing her mother die to someone whom she had considered to be best friends with. Then, when Senzui raised his hand to kill Miu, he found himself unable to. And then Miu saw it, clear as day. Senzui's disguise as Saiga had been ripped in half to reveal Senzui's true face. Her mother's face as she laid in the snow dying as she clearly saw the truth, that it was never, that it would never be Saiga. Then Senzui quickly escaping, only for Saiga to appear half a minute. Her father's wails of angst as his wife was dead, her eyes glassed over. Her father's face as he debated whether to take Miu with him, only for him to decide Miu would be safer away from him. The tears as her father carefully hid her within the snow, leaving a feather to guide the Elder whom he knew would be coming soon.

Jenazad took a deep breath, as if getting ready to scream.

"Silkwat, don't!" shouted the Elder, but Jenazad refused to listen.

With a fierce bellow, Jenazad roared, his voice carrying over to the mountains. Seconds, later, the snow began to tumble, forming an avalanche that was heading towards them.

Jihan frantically asked why his master was doing this betrayal, and Jenazad snapped back that it didn't matter that he was the prince because he was the demon god. The Elder quickly collected Miu and Kenichi, and was about to attempt to save Jihan, only to stop when Jenazad glared at him. The Elder knew that if he attempted the rescue, Jenazad would attack, and with his arms occupied, there was a good chance Jenazad could kill one of them. The stare off continued on as the avalanche got closer and closer until Jenazad finally decided to escape first.

"Jihan, grab my hand!" shouted Kenichi as he reached out his hand as far as he could.

Jihan looked at Kenichi and actually raised his hand towards him. For one moment, Kenichi thought Jihan would listen... until Jihan slapped the hand away.

"I'll use dirty plans. I'll betray others, and keep scheming until I have no strategies left! But I will never allow myself to accept help from my enemies," stated Jihan as he stared at the incoming avalanche.

As the Elder quickly jumped away, knowing Jihan would never accept help, Jihan gave one last statement.

"Because I am... a king!"

The avalanche washed over Jihan as the Elder quickly ran away from the avalanche, actually outrunning it, which was deemed rather impossible... for normal humans anyways. The Elder also snatched up Renka and Natsu, who were quickly trying to drive away from the avalanche. Then the Elder did the impossible once more. He **jumped** on **top** of the avalanche and began running up the snow before finally stopping on a log to allow them to rest.

"That was close," shivered Kenichi, remembering how Jenazad almost got him.

"Wait, were you losing to Jihan?" asked Natsu.

Kenichi shook his head, "His master suddenly attacked me and almost got me if it wasn't for the Elder. He's the one who caused the avalanche."

"Children, let's discuss this in a... safer environment," declared the Elder as he was concerned about Miu. Not to mention Jenazad could possibly strike once more.

Hastily, they managed to make it back to their lodgings far past midnight, almost hitting two in the morning.

"We'll talk more in the morning. For now, go to sleep," ordered the Elder, "I'll be here to watch over you all."

Knowing the Elder would be guarding them, the four of them eagerly went to their rooms to sleep, with Renka carrying Miu to their room.

"I'm taking a shower first," stated Natsu, booking no argument from Kenichi. As soon as they entered the dorm, Natsu swiftly took off to the showers while Kenichi plopped himself onto the bed. After such a harrowing experience, he doubted he had enough energy to take a shower, as much as he would love to.

"So how'd the fight go?" asked Niijima, suddenly turning on his own bed to Kenichi while yawning.

"Definitely not like the old timeline," murmured Kenichi, "Jihan wanted to make Miu his wife."

Niijima blinked a few times before his eyes bulged out in shock, "What?"

Kenichi then began explaining what had happened, from beginning to end, with Niijima now wide awake and taking notes. By the time Kenichi finished, Natsu had come out of the showers.

"Get some sleep idiot," said Natsu as he 'gently' whacked Kenichi on the head, "You can't afford to relax, especially after this."

"Yea, yea," grumbled Kenichi as he picked himself up and headed to the showers.

* * *

Seeing no point in continuing the conversation, Natsu himself went to bed. But not before contemplating when Kenichi had said. Before he had closed the bathroom door, he heard Kenichi's words. Old timeline. What did that mean? Did Kenichi meet Jihan before, and in what way? Kenichi had been too tired to notice Natsu had not completely been out of earshot. Did that mean that Kenichi was a reincarnation of someone in the past? Or was this something else? Mulling it over, Natsu decided he would shelve the topic for now, and perhaps ask once more somewhere down the timeline. Right now, he just wanted sleep and to get back home to make sure Kaede was safe as usual.

Morning came upon them, and the whole class was already boarding the bus to return back to school. Despite all the hustle and bustle from the other students, all still talking about the trip, Kenichi, Miu, Natsu, and Renka were sound asleep on the bus. Miu had her head on Kenichi's shoulder while Kenichi had his over her head, both using each other's body part as a pillow. Renka, however, had inexplicably chosen Natsu's lap as a pillow, giving off small nya's as she snoozed. Natsu had fallen asleep before Renka had fallen into his lap, and so did not notice this, though his hand somehow wandered to Renka's head, lightly stroking her hair as he did so. Quite a few of Natsu's fans glared at the scene with jealousy burning in their eyes. Niijima merely cackled as he snapped a few photos of both pairs. Though he wouldn't use blackmail as he promised Siegfried, he wasn't above teasing them.

"Niijima-sama, what were you doing earlier with your PDA?" asked Matsui curiously, who was sitting next to him.

"Oh just making sure some investments are safe," grinned Niijima as he tapped a few more buttons on the PDA, activating the tracking device. The screen showed that the one Miu merely a few inches away from him. The other one Kenichi had... was currently back in the mountains. Though the most interesting part of that was that it was slowly moving.

* * *

 _[So cold.]_ shivered Jihan as he managed to unbury himself out of the snow. How he had managed to live was beyond him, though he counted on the fact that he was a king, and thus he would not die so easily.

 _[Jihan-sama!]_

He heard a voice call out and peaked out of the trees he was leaning on to see his loyal servants looking for him, along with Sham. Jihan contemplated about revealing himself but decided against it. If he was found alive by his servants, Yomi would know he was alive. And if Yomi knew, Yami would also know, thus alerting his so-called master. Then Jenazad would make sure he finished the job. Jihan had no intention of dying now, so he began his slow trek down the mountain. As he did so, he almost collapsed several times. If he had not been beaten black and blue by Kenichi, then perhaps he would've had enough energy to make it down. Sadly, his strength was leaving him, leaving him with only his will.

'Is this how it goes then?' thought Jihan as he leaned back on a tree, using the time to rest and perhaps restore his strength, even if it was just a little. Then he noticed something panting near him. His eyes snapped open to see a Goberian, a Golden Retriever and Husky hybrid, panting right next to him. On the dog's neck seemed to be small barrel while on the left side of the dog's flank was a small box.

"What are you doing here?" said Jihan, more of asking the question for himself.

The dog merely nudged his nose at Jihan, offering him a small amount of comfort. Jihan observed the dog for a bit, not knowing exactly what ….. he was doing here after he checked the gender. The Goberian nudged at Jihan once more before baring his neck at Jihan.

"Do you want me to take the barrel?" asked Jihan curiously, reaching out for it and taking it. The Goberian then shook his body, dropping the case off his body before giving a loud bark and ran off.

Jihan frowned as he watched the dog run off. Despite being a dog, he would've enjoyed the company. Still, he was curious about what the dog had dropped off. Opening the small barrel first, he found hot mint tea that would warm up his body. Take a small sip, he opened the box to reveal some medicine to help soothe the bruising as well as a small ration bar. He eagerly tore into the food, not caring how horrible it tasted. It gave him enough energy to walk down the mountain now. Though he would never accept help from an enemy, the dog wasn't his enemy. Jihan considered it to be a stroke of luck as well as the will of the heavens, proclaiming he must continue on. As he continued down his trek, he never noticed Kenichi's tracking device stuck on his clothes. Nor did he notice the small Shinpaku sign on the dog's collar as he ran off.

During the fight, Kenichi had managed to stick the tracking device onto Jihan without him noticing. Then, when Kenichi arrived back, Niijima had activated one of his many contingency plans. Now that Niijima had a good idea where Jihan was, he cackled as he imagined the future. Back in the old timeline, Jihan had transformed a small ramen shop into a multi-million corporation within a year and a half. Niijima would not let such a golden opportunity escape him. As long as he kept track of where Jihan would end up at, he could be one of the early investors and become richer than ever while gaining even more connections. Having one connected to a monarch would certainly expand his company.

* * *

"So... Nagaraja or Jihan has fallen," chuckled Sho as he sat on a handrail inside a rather luxurious house, looking towards his fellow members of Yomi. Boris, the Stanley siblings, Chikage Kushinada, Tirawit, Cho Enshin, and Ryuto Asamiya.

Ryuto, despite being stuck on a wheelchair for now, still retained his purple hair. His confinement to his wheelchair had made him lose a little muscle, giving him a more slender frame, but still a competent fighter. He was paralyzed from the waist down, but from what he could tell, he would be regaining control of his legs soon enough. He could still feel them, but his ki network was still recovering. Both sclera in his eyes retained their usual white color. Kenichi had managed to prevent the worst from happening to Ryuto.

Sho looked around and gave a slight frown. Despite ordering all of Yomi to gather, he did not see Satomi Kajima. That man was the direct disciple of the One Shadow, and also the eldest of them all. For some reason, he did not fall under Sho's orders as much, despite being the disciple of all ten masters of Yami. When he asked where Satomi was, Senzui, who was still wearing his disguise as Saiga Furinji, told him not to worry about him, that he would arrive later.

It did rattle Sho a little that Satomi was learning directly from the Kuremisago Clan, a clan that he was from. Though the said clan did complain that Hongo wasn't being strict enough, which rankled Sho. Still, he would choose to be with his first master no matter what.

Shaking off that train of thought, he gazed towards the others once more. Cho Enshin was staring out of the window as usual. Out of their whole group, both Cho and Satomi seemed to be the furthest from their group, though Satomi would at least drop by from time to time with two other girls from the Kuremisago Clan and talk with them. He recalled their names being Hikari and Hikaru, Hikari being the slender one.

"Any opinions, ladies and gentlemen?" continued Sho, "His master said that he could easily raise another disciple on par with Jihan straight away.. but that doesn't matter. What's more interesting... is who's next?"

As each one of them kept their faces stoic, each one had their own thought processes. Tirawit, Cho, and Chikage didn't really care as they would take care of the situation when it presented itself. Rachel was pondering where to go to attract attention as usual, and her younger brother Ethan was more concerned about where Rachel was going to go and hope not to get in trouble as usual. Boris, however, pondered about the light that resided within Kenichi. Just how strong was Kenichi? Just defeating Jihan wasn't enough information to go by. His gaze fell upon Ryuto as he looked around the room. Perhaps asking someone who had actually fought Kenichi and was currently alive would give him some more information, even if he did look like he lost terribly.

As for Ryuto... he could only sigh as he pitied the next person to fight Kenichi. Being in Yomi now, he could tell that he was probably the weakest member of the group, even before his fight with Kenichi. Still, the fact that Kenichi not only completely overwhelmed him despite using _**Seidou Gouitsu**_ , but even he could tell with his inexperienced eyes that Kenichi was levels beyond them. It frustrated him that he was so far behind, but he was thankful that Kenichi managed to fix his Ki network during the fight. Ogata hadn't cared about the consequences, just the results, which made Ryuto lose some respect towards him.

Still, he wouldn't say anything that would give Yomi the upper hand, as he wanted to fight Kenichi once more when he was recovered.

* * *

 **And done. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. DFOD coming up soon, and I promise you, it will not be like the original canon muhahaha! Butterfly effect to its fullest!**

 **As for KH3, well I beat it in two days. Spent the rest of that time getting 100% on my trophy list. Also got a quite a bit of guest reviews 'spoiling' the ending for me. Luckily, those came AFTER I beat the game. I deleted those because I didn't want the unfortunate chance of someone who hasn't beaten the game, going through the reviews, and getting spoiled, though at this point it's highly unlikely.**

 **As for the ending... well let's say I might do another one-shot about KH3, about how the final battle SHOULD have gone. Look forward to that... if I get the time to do so.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!**

 **This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve!**

 **And so we're nearing the Desperate Fight of Disciple Arc! What will happen muahahah! Also a random cameo, cookies for those who know who I just made up.**

 **Anyways, on with the story!**

* * *

"So...what do you have to say for yourself?" asked the Elder.

"I'm sowwy!" cried out Kensei as he was hogtied and hung off the Elder's mighty bonsai tree. With the help of Kenichi's book on _How To Tie a Person Up So Well That They Can't Escape, Even If They Are Masters!,_ Kensei actually found it difficult to escape the rope.

"You're lucky I decided to go up there myself," said the Elder, "I shiver to think what Jenazad would've done to Kenichi if he succeeded. We can't rely on luck that the timeline will always go the way Kenichi and Miu said it did."

While Kensei was being punished, Kenichi and Miu were off at the Shinpaku Alliance building to visit the others.

"Wait, what about now?" wailed Kensei, "Who's watching them now? I can volunteer!"

"Sakaki has already taken the shift," chuckled Akisame as he was painting, "Apachai and Shigure are accompanying Honoka and Kaede. Elder, I would appreciate if you did let Kensei down. It's almost time for our shifts."

The Elder looked at the clock to show that their shift was indeed coming up. Due to Niijima's help, the new super well-equipped hospital that had been built near their location hadn't bled Kensei and Akisame's business bone dry. Instead, they had been contracted to work with the hospital. Twice a week they would work inside, helping out the hospital while the other hours they worked in their own clinic. It was a profitable arrangement for both parties. Of course, since Ryozanpaku wasn't going to be bankrupt anytime soon thanks to Miu and Niijima, there had been debates whether to host the children training camp for martial arts, as they did in the past timeline. Some of their actions had helped quite a few children stand up to their bullies, their health got better, etc. Instead, Niijima told them that he had it all covered.

* * *

 _At a certain dojo_

"Whew, didn't think this would be this popular!" exclaimed Tsutomu as he looked out into the dojo yard.

Indeed, the yard was filled with children ranging from ages 4-7, all yelling and playing with each other.

"This does help with the income," nodded Tayu as she cuddled with her daughter, "Kairi is starting to get big and eating a lot more, aren't you?"

Kairi giggled as Tayu began playing with her, letting Tsutomu take reign of the class. Next to him were the disciples of the Zanshin Taisha-ryuu, Tsukasa and Kuranda. They had been hired to help maintain discipline, much to their chagrin.

"Alright you two, help me pass out the dougi uniforms," ordered Tsutomu as he brought out a box filled with clothes.

* * *

 _At the Shinpaku Alliance_

Kenichi stood in the middle of the room, glancing around at his opponents. Two of them circled around Kenichi, each poised to strike. Kenichi slowly shifted himself, always changing his blind spot as much as possible. In his hands was another weapon that he had yet to truly use against an opponent, the wooden three sectional staff.

Suddenly, Takeda rushed forward, his fist up towards his chest as he went to engage Kenichi. Tsuji charged forward along with him, utilizing the _**Koppou**_ steps, sliding forward towards Kenichi from behind.

Kenichi swiftly spun his staff around his body, preventing both opponents from easily closing in. Quickly keeping it rotating, Kenichi struck with his staff towards Takeda, who managed to dodge it but was unable to go forward.

"Gotcha!" exclaimed Tsuji as he tried to punch Kenichi, only for him to duck under it and back kick him in the chin. Tsuji managed to sway away just in time but felt his brain get rattled a bit.

With a butterfly kick, Kenichi maneuvered himself so he was facing both opponents, quickly retracting the staff so he held all three of them in one hand. Takeda looked at Tsuji with a glance before charging in once more, weaving his body as he did so. Suddenly, Kenichi thrust his weapon out, the staff extending towards Takeda. Takeda's eyes widened as he quickly put his guard up. The staff impacted onto Takeda's arms, sting his arms as he stepped back. Tsuji rushed in, hoping to catch Kenichi off tempo. Tsuji then had to put both hands up as Kenichi spun in the air, the staff whistling along with him before it aimed for his head.

"Haha, blocke-gah!" exclaimed Tsuji. Tsuji had managed to block the attack to his cranium but had miscalculated the joints of the three sectional staff. The middle part had impacted on his arms, but the last section continued its momentum and struck Tsuji in the back of the head.

Kenichi lifted his staff back up and tried a horizontal swing at Tsuji, only for Takeda to come in and punch the staff away, causing it to fling away and almost slip out of Kenichi's hands.

"Chance!" roared Tsuji as he ran forward undeterred.

Kenichi used the momentum from Takeda's hit to rotate with it and struck Tsuji in the ribs. Tsuji winced as the sectional staff was about to wrap around him, then grabbed the last staff as it came back. His other hand grabbed another part of the staff, causing Kenichi to be stuck. Before Kenichi could force Tsuji to let go, Takeda had jumped off of Tsuji's shoulders and tried to land a meteor straight punch to Kenichi's jaw.

Kenichi quickly grabbed the attacking fist and threw Takeda into the matted floor, causing Takeda to cough in pain. Kenichi flipped over Takeda and then threw him once more into a wall while dodging Tsuji's amateurish attempts to hitting Kenichi with the weapon.

"Ha, let's see how you- OW!" winced Tsuji as he swung the weapon like a flail, only to hit his head again with the weapon during the end of one of his swings. The weapon had wrapped around his head and hit him.

Kenichi used this to his advantage, sliding in an elbowing Tsuji in the chest.

"Alright, that's enough," shouted Sakaki, "Kenichi, you lose again."

"Why doesn't it feel like he lost?" groaned Takeda as he picked himself up.

"Because he's supposed to learn how to use his weapon properly," said Sakaki, "Shigure gave me strict instructions that Kenichi has to learn to use it, and that means not losing it so easily and resorting to empty hand techniques, where he's had more practice with. This also helps doubles as practice against fighting weapons for you all."

As Tsuji and Takeda propped themselves up, Sakaki looked around the Shinpaku base to admire the architecture that Niijima had placed in it. While Kenichi, Tsuji, and Takeda were getting ready to go at it once more in a matted area, Miu was actually sparring against Kisara, Shiratori, and a few other Valkyries. Freya wasn't at the base but had opted to return to her grandfather's dojo to get some advice. It was rather hard for Freya to do so, but the fact was that her grandfather, besides being eccentric, was a powerful person to learn from.

Sakaki continued to look around, hearing Tibetan chants coming out from a room. Siegfried had yet to leave his room and was still spinning on a boulder. In another section was a row of computers with the other members of Shinpaku using them, gathering information off the web. And of course, at one corner, sat Niijima on his throne, though he was on his computer too. Thor was still absent, as he had decided to follow Tsuji's choice and train at the mountains for a bit.

'Hmm, how do I make this more interesting?' pondered Sakaki. He allowed himself to wallow in the memories of his past for a bit when Ukita entered the building, his hair full of dirt.

"Yo, what happened to you?" waved Takeda.

"Was trying out a new move before Yamamoto-sensei threw me into the ground head first," grumbled Ukita, "Freaking brat of his kept laughing, asking me if it was cold underground. The only good thing was that a second later, his head was also buried underground."

 _'Underground_ '

That word rang around Sakaki's mind for a bit before he gave a huge smile.

"Everyone, stop what you're doing!" shouted Sakaki, causing everyone to actually stop, "I got a class assignment for you all! We're gonna go on a little trip."

"Will we be safe for this trip?" asked Kenichi, a bit scared.

"Oh, don't worry," grinned Sakaki, "It'll be a surefire way to make you guys improve!"

 _A few hours later_

"Welcome to the underground duel arena, where anything can happen! The rules when you fight... there are few to none! No protection gear, just a pure, all-out brawl! In this place, anything can happen!" shouted an announcer as people cheered.

"... Sakaki-shisho, why are we here?" blinked Kenichi as he, Miu, Takeda, Tsuji, Niijima, Kisara, and Ukita stood in the entryway of the underground arena. Siegfried had decided not to come, as he was still training via spinning.

"To train!" declared Sakaki before adding in a whisper, "and to get me some extra spending money."

"Gahahaha, don't worry, we'll be here to watch!" laughed James Shiba, who had decided to accompany them on the 'little' trip, "Anyways, boy! I expect you to win! I'll give you permission to take off the restraints"

"Yes master!" saluted Takeda.

"I'm feeling a bit... whelmed," said Ukita nervously, "I think I'll pass on this."

"Nope, you're getting at least one battle in," stated Sakaki.

"I haven't even landed a single blow against my sensei, and I still have yet to win against the master's brat!" exclaimed Ukita, "There's no way I'm going to win!"

"Stop your griping brat," yawned Sakaki, "Just get in there!"

"Why don't you fight then!?" yelped Ukita as Sakaki grabbed him by the collar to stop him from escaping.

"I would have done so if I could," explained Sakaki before pointing at Shiba, "Same with him."

"Holy shit, that person in the sunglasses is Sakaki!" shouted one passerby, who had taken a random glance at Sakaki before doing a double take.

"It's the 100th dan karate master, run for your lives!" screamed another as a crowd began to flee.

"Isn't that guy with the mustache James Shiba, the God of Destruction of Underground Boxing!? Why is he here? Run!"

"See, that's why I don't fight," sighed Sakaki, "Even in this place, nobody really wants to fight a master class, especially Grand Masters at my level."

"Hehehe, so you've returned, master Sakaki," grinned a middle-aged man wearing a white suit, his face adorned with an evil smirk.

"Oooh, haven't seen you for a long time, Boss," smirked Sakaki back, "Surprised to see you're still alive."

'Oh good, maybe we'll be kicked out!' thought Ukita.

Suddenly, the Boss got on his knees, crying while crawling back, begging Sakaki to not ruin his business. "Kenichi, what the hell did your master do?" gaped Ukita, as did everybody else in the disciple class.

"I don't know, but I don't think I want to find out," chuckled Kenichi.

"Relax, Boss, I'm not going to fight," stated Sakaki, "Instead, I'm on supervising duty today. Kids, meet the Boss who'll help you get your fights."

Suddenly, death glares from all sorts of fighters pinned down the disciple group, causing them all to squirm a little. Even Kenichi, who was basically around the Expert Class now with Miu, squirmed, but that was just his usual personality. Soon, laughs filled the arena as they didn't expect much from the group. This obviously ticked Tsuji and Kisara off and was eager to prove them all wrong.

"You think this is safe?" whispered Kenichi to Niijima, "I think we're here earlier than before when Sakaki shishou took me here."

"Should be," muttered Niijima, "I don't see the Stanley twins here yet. So that means we have a bit of free reign here."

'Not to mention I'm going to make a fortune here,' snickered Niijima in his mind.

Soon enough, matches were prepared for them all. While Tsuji, Kisara, and Takeda were excited as they were called into different rings, Ukita was quivering as he was in the ring.

"Come on, do I have to do this?" wailed Ukita towards Sakaki.

"Oy, kid, pay attention, the match started," lectured Sakaki.

Ukita snapped his attention forward just to see a flying knee to his face from his opponent.

"Oh crap!" shouted Ukita as he ducked under the knee, rolling away from his opponent.

"What's wrong brat, scared?" sneered the man, "Just stand still, and I'll send you flying to a world of dreams... in the hospital!"

The man launched a barrage of attacks, which Ukita kept dodging. It was then that Ukita noticed something peculiar.

'Why does my opponent... seem so much slower than the brat?' thought Ukita, referring to the time when he sparred with Naoki.

"Urgh, stop dodging!" cried out the man as he kept missing. He then tried to punch Ukita, but overstepped it too much.

Ukita snapped back into reality and reacted, grabbing the man's wrist with both hands. Ukita then jumped up, wrapping his legs around the man's head and shifted his weight towards the ground, forcing his opponent to fall to the ground.

 _ **Armlock Twist Takedown!**_

It was a move that Naoki and Taiki had used to take him down repeatedly. This move set was so ingrained into Ukita that he had no trouble performing it against his opponent.

"Oh, and a surprise takedown from Child U! Will this be the match!?" shouted an announcer.

Ukita firmly grasped the arm, not allowing his opponent any opportunity. Soon, the man tapped out, allowing Ukita to win.

"Ukita, you did it!" cheered Kenichi as Ukita got back to the corner.

"Yea... I guess I did!" smiled Ukita.

"Have more confi... Ukita duck!" shouted Kenichi. Ukita instinctively obeyed just to dodge an attack.

"Hey, hey, don't get distracted," said Sakaki as he sipped on his beer the Boss had brought for him, "You four are going to be doing continuous matches until you forfeit, whether by choice or knockout."

"You said one battle only!" cried Ukita.

"Yeah... that is one battle," smirked Sakaki, "Just continuous matches. I'll let you out if you really seem tired, but not before. C'mon, I heard you say that you didn't want to be left behind. If you don't do this, you'll really be left behind. The other three are already past their 2nd match."

Ukita's ears perked up to hear that it was true. Child T (Takeda,) had just finished his 3rd fight, Child K (Kisara) was in the middle of her third, and Child S (Tsuji) was beginning his 3rd fight. Ukita grit his teeth as he turned to face his opponent, this time a determined visage painted onto his face. With a roar, Ukita charged forward.

* * *

"Urrrgg that was tiring," groaned Ukita as he held an ice pack to his head, though he felt proud of himself. He had managed to win three fights before losing the fourth one.

"Yeah, but it gave us a lot of experience," grinned Kisara, who winced as she gently poked her thigh. She had five consecutive wins before she decided to stop, her legs feeling a bit sore. Her last match had been especially challenging.

"Hmph, I want to go up again!" pouted Tsuji, his face rather bruised. He had won four matches and tied his fifth match with a double knockout.

Takeda was still continuing his sixth match, though he was very tired now. He narrowly won with a cross counter before calling it quits for now.

"Hey, Kenichi is going up," noted Ukita, getting Kisara and Tsuji's attention.

Indeed, Kenichi was now up on stage, holding his three sectional staff.

"Err, are you sure this is alright?" gulped Kenichi.

"You'll be fine!" said Sakaki confidently, "Now go out there and play!"

 _Six battles later_

Kenichi was lightly panting as his next opponent dove into the ring. He had sustained light injuries, most of which were actually self-inflicted. He was still not used to the new weapon, and some of the fights had been harder than he thought. Miu was by his side, cheering him on, so Kenichi bravely soldiered on. Despite Sakaki's 'trial by fire', Kenichi had to admit that the constant fights against other people he was not familiar with forced him to learn faster.

Kenichi whipped out his staff, blocking his opponent's wooden sword slash. Then, in the same motion, he trapped the sword within both sections of his staff. His opponent struggled, trying to tug his sword away. Kenichi held it firmly between the staff and kneed his opponent's chest. His opponent coughed in pain and once more pulled the sword back with all his strength.

Kenichi grinned as he suddenly opened both sides, allowing the man to regain his weapon. However, the man had not expected his weapon to be released so easily and lost his balance. Kenichi swiftly spun, swinging his three section staff around his leg and slammed it into the man's back, sending him flying out of the ring.

"And Child A wins another match!" shouted the announcer, "Can anybody stop his winning streak!?"

'Hmm?' noted Sakaki as he peeked up the stands, 'Looks like expert level fighters want a piece of him. Perhaps I should stop it? It would be good to have him face some stronger people though.'

Suddenly, a man in a pink gi jumped into the ring, eager to fight Kenichi.

"I'm Gan Tibiki, and I, with my Kyoryokuna style (self-proclaimed powerful style), will beat you!"

Kenichi blinked as he saw this rather flashy dressed man posing with his fist in front of him. Suddenly, the man jumped towards him with a right roundhouse kick while in the air. Kenichi blocked the right kick, then had to lift his other staff part to block the left kick that suddenly shot out. And yet, Gan wasn't done. Gan swiftly withdrew his right leg while still in the air and lashed out once more, this time going for a thrust kick. Kenichi lifted the middle part of this staff to block it and was pushed back a bit.

"He's skilled," noted Takeda as he finished up his water.

"Yea, it takes a lot of balance and skill to launch all those kicks," nodded Kisara, her legs feeling a bit better, "Especially a variety too."

"Think Kenichi's met his match?" asked Tsuji as he observed the fight.

"Mmm, I wouldn't say so," piped in Niijima suddenly, scaring them all, "With just his weapon, Kenichi probably doesn't stand a chance. Without it, though, I'd say he's got a good chance."

The four of them blinked before remembering that Kenichi was much more skilled in empty hand combat and that the weapons training were a more recent thing.

"An Expert Class?" observed Miu from the side of the ring.

"Roughly," acknowledged Sakaki, "Kinda on the low side of it, but yea."

Kenichi struggled to keep up with Gan. The man, despite his bloated ego, knew how to fight, at the very least. Then it happened.

"WATAAA!" screamed Gan as launched a crushing blow to a specific point on Kenichi's staff that he had been hitting several times.

The wooden staff cracked under all the pressure and splintered in half. Kenichi was now left with a broken weapon.

"Haha, now that your weapon is useless, you might as well give up!" boasted Gan, posing once more with his fist up in front of him, "No way you can fight without your pwecious wittle weapon."

He was greeted with a swift punch to the face, followed by two elbows and a kick to his face.

"I can't believe he actually took his eyes off his opponent," snickered Kisara as Gan staggered backward, his nose bleeding.

"Gah, what the hell, I thought you didn't know how to fight without a weapon," groaned Gan.

"Never said I couldn't," grinned Kenichi as he blocked a fist from Gan and threw him into the ground. Gan quickly got up, only to get a knee right into his face.

As Gan flew backward, his last scream before falling unconscious could be heard.

"BABAAAA!" (Old Lady)

The ring fell silent as the man laid unconscious on the ring.

"Well, that was a thing," snickered Niijima as Kenichi got out of the ring. Without his weapon, there was no real point in continuing. Not to mention he had already attracted an expert level fighter and defeated him with 'ease'. To tell the truth, Gan had been too overconfident and never thought Kenichi could still punch him. If Gan had kept his guard up, then the fight would've been much more difficult.

"Well that was a good experience," clapped Sakaki, "Let's get you brats home. I've got some business to get to."

"Mmm fine," said Miu before putting her hand out, "But first, the money."

"What money?" said Sakaki innocently, trying not to break out in a cold sweat.

After a few seconds of Miu glaring, Sakaki reluctantly passed all the money he gained from betting on the matches. After a short lecture about betting, Miu gave him 50% of the cut, which was more than enough for him to spend on what he wanted. The rest would be going to the budget for Ryozanpaku. Shiba laughed as he had all his money for himself and some for Takeda.

'Glad I had all my transactions handled through wiring,' snicked Niijima as they all left the arena.

A day later, a blushing Sakaki could be seen returning home with Shigure right behind him. He refused to say what happened, though.

* * *

 _A few days later_

"And the Tokumei Kibou (18 years old) beats the odds once more! She is now 14-0, and it seems like she has run out of opponents to fight!"

Rachel Stanley scoffed as she saw nobody coming up to fight now. She had come here to burn some time before her master, Carlo Diego, began the Desperate Fight of Disciples. Everything had been prepared, and the only things left to do was to have the invites sent out. She, of course, basked in the light as everyone's attention was on her. After kicking one of the guards in the head for cockblocking photos despite there being a wire cage in between them, she decided she had had enough fun and jumped off the ring.

"Had enough?" asked her younger brother, Ethan Stanley.

"Yeah, for now. Why don't you go up in the ring? Have some fun, loosen up! As my co-star in the upcoming event, I'm expecting you to help me put up a big show!" whined Rachel.

Ethan merely sighed at this, as this reason for this sort of attitude was clearly due to her master. Granted, out of all the masters in Yami, Diego was one of the more light-hearted ones that he did not mind talking with. While letting his older sister playfully beat on his arms, his hearing perked up as he heard one of the fighter talking with another fighter.

"Man, what's with all these kids kicking our asses?"

Ethan focused on what the two fighters were saying, getting as much information as he could glean.

"Are you even listening to me now!?" huffed Rachel.

"Yes sister," replied Ethan, "I heard you loud and clear about shining above the others like diamonds, but hold on for a bit, I heard something that might be important."

Rachel pouted but kept silent as she also strained her ears to hear what Ethan was talking about.

"Excuse me, who are you talking about?" asked Rachel as she picked up the conversation from the other fighters.

"Oh some boy named Child A," replied the fighter, slightly edging away from Rachel in slight fear, "We didn't get a name. He won a buncha fights with a weapon, and managed to actually defeat one of our top fighters here."

"Hmm, and if you were to compare the two of us, who would be stronger?" demanded Rachel while bending down a little, giving the fighter a good view of her cleavage, which wasn't hard as her Lucha Libre uniform barely covered it.

"Errr you are strong and flashy," said the fighter with a gulp, "But I think Child A might be stronger. He did take out one of the bigger fish here."

Rachel frowned, unhappy that there was someone who was shining more than her.

"Could you describe the person?" asked Ethan, coming into the conversation.

"Eh, medium length brown hair, kinda plain looking, wears a bandage under his left eye."

Ethan pondered for a second before pulling out a crumpled photo, quickly smoothing it out and asked, "Did he look like this?"

It was a photo of Kenichi that had been snapped a while ago. While Rachel threw her copy away, Ethan had kept his.

"Yea, that's him!"

"Thank you for your help," bowed Ethan, allowing the two fighters to quickly leave.

"So, he thinks he can outshine us, does he?" growled Rachel, "We'll show him that we Luchadores are bright as diamonds, as will smash him to pieces!"

While Rachel was swearing vengeance for being outshone, Ethan was shelving this information in his mind. From what he heard, Kenichi had fought mainly using weapons. And yet, from Ogata's information, he was much more skilled in CQC. Perhaps Shirahama Kenichi was someone to be wary of.

* * *

 _On a certain island_

Carlo Diego, the Smiling Steel Fist, had woken up in a luxurious bedroom. Whistling, he headed towards the showers and began to strip off all his clothes except for his mask, to which he never took off. The mask was a custom job that he himself did, the cloth made with special materials. It could be washed with the face soap that he used, and even if and when he needed to deep clean the mask, he had several backups ready.

"Because it's DIEGO QUALITY!" said Diego to no one in general as he finished washing his face and mask. Yet somehow, whenever someone heard him yell out this phrase, they swore they could somehow hear it all in caps.

Soon enough, he was sitting on a chair out on the balcony, enjoying breakfast as he looked through the news, taking in the scene before him. Soon, the D of D would be here, and he, as the host, would bring entertainment to the world. The construction of the arena was already done, the invites sent out.

"Sir, we have received confirmations from most participants that you have invited!" said Diego's secretary.

"Mm, excellent! I'm guessing the rest that has yet to reply hasn't received it yet?" asked Diego.

"Errr...," said the secretary nervously, "There was one that rejected the invitation. The _Tenchi Mushin Ryuu_."

"Wait!? Why?" asked Diego with a frown. He was really hoping that they would've come. They would have been excellent entertainment material!

"They said that they have a child to take care of, and couldn't afford to leave her behind. Nor did they want to take her here," replied the secretary.

"Did you tell them that we have the latest state of the art nursery, equipped with the finest toys and lessons, all with a 24-hour guard and one of the world's best babysitters, all of them DIEGO QUALITY approved?" asked Diego, stressing his name. They really did have such a thing, as Diego insisted it. He wanted nothing left to chance.

"Yes sir, but they insisted that they wanted to devote their time to their family and home," gulped the secretary. Diego was silent for a minute, standing up and staring out into the scenery before closing his eyes. The secretary himself was getting nervous, as he didn't want to be near Diego in case he reverted from Smiling Steel Fist to Angry Iron Fist.

"Fine," sighed Diego after opening his eyes, "Go down to the next list. We'll have to pull from the reserves. Or... we could get some more of Yomi's members in here! Oh wait, I have another idea! Let me write this down and send it out! This'll be even more fun!"

The secretary let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he would not have to order new furniture. Truth be told, Diego had been angry and disappointed that the _Tenchi Mushin Ryuu_ had rejected the offer, but he understood why. Family was important, after all. And not to mention, they would be bringing their child to a dangerous place where the vast majority... or rather 99% of the audience had their hands in something illegal and were dangerous.

Despite all the security, if one of them managed to hire someone to kidnap their daughter and hold her hostage, then they would control the parent. Then they would control how some of the matches went, limiting the fighter's ability. That would not be DIEGO QUALITY. Of course, Diego would have dealt with such poisonous acts in the line of entertainment, but it was still a possibility. He did not need entertainers that would go into the fight without DIEGO QUALITY energy.

He quickly jotted down his invitation and had it sent out via express. If they agreed to come, then the D of D would become an even bigger spectacle!

"Speaking of which, did those two accept it?" asked Diego as he finished his letter, giving it to his secretary.

"Yes sir," bowed the secretary, "The latter has replied saying they will be coming with the former."

"Excellent!" grinned Diego, "No matter what, even if they are possible cannon fodder, as long as they put up a DIEGO QUALITY show, then it'll be fun!"

* * *

 _At Ryozanpaku_

"So... it's arrived," said Kenichi nervously.

Yami's invite to the D of D had arrived at Ryozanpaku, and naturally, they had accepted. After all, this was the perfect opportunity to swoop in and arrest many underground criminals, something they couldn't avoid. Not to mention, they were still following the timeline. According to the invite, the beginning of the tournament would be hosted in two days.

"Indeed, did you all take your end-of-the-year exams already?" asked the Elder.

"Yes grandfather," replied Miu.

In the last timeline, they had barely made it back to school in time to take the test. Miu had been fine, being the straight A student, but that was probably the first time she had gotten a few Bs. Kenichi had suffered through B and Cs at that time, and Niijima had somehow surfed through with Bs. Ukita and Takeda had it the worst, not compiling enough credits or having good enough grades to graduate thanks to their gangster ways, even with Koryuu's rather lax policy.

Now that they had taken it, Miu would keep her straight A grades, and with her help, Kenichi would also maintain the same grades.

"Ah, does that mean we have a better plan now?" asked Kenichi excitedly, as they were more informed about the island's defenses, etc.

"Ah yes, we do," nodded Akisame.

"It's called 'Enjoy the mood of the Southern Islands first, then make a big mess and leave, revised!" explained the Elder.

"That's still the same plan!" cried Kenichi.

"Relax Kenichi," chuckled Sakaki, "Even with all the extra info, we can't depend on it. There might be a few key changes in the timelines, and if we depend on the old info and find it wrong, then we doom ourselves. It's nice to have it, but as long as we know the existence of a trap and other stuff, we'll be fine."

"That does not make me feel better!" cried Kenichi.

"Regardless, we should avoid bringing your friends," stated Akisame in a serious tone, "Though they might have come before, we cannot ask nor force them to come."

Kenichi and Miu nodded, actually agreeing with the statement. Though they both knew that if anyone could somehow get Shinpaku Alliance to come, it would be Niijima.

Two days had passed without a peep from Niijima, allowing the residents of Ryozanpaku to think Niijima had agreed with their arrangements. Soon, they were all walking to where Ryozanpaku's hand-crafted boat was waiting at the pier, where they would take it to the island. Noir, the cat, was being carried by Miu. She didn't want to leave him behind, and hiring someone to catsit for Noir wasn't an option. Plus, Noir knew how to defend himself thanks to Tochumaru, and so it was decided that they would take him with them. However, awaiting at the pier was a surprise to all of the Ryozanpaku masters.

"Kekekekeke did you think you would be leaving us behind!?" laughed Niijima as he and the rest of the Shinpaku Alliance members were there waiting. Surprisingly Natsu and Renka were also there with them.

"Yeah, you didn't think we went to the underground arena to train and not come to this D of D!?" shouted Takeda, gesturing to himself, Kisara, Tsuji, and Ukita, who nodded in reply.

"I trained with my grandfather once more to throw myself into the world of martial arts, and rediscovering myself in the process," stated Freya as she twirled her staff around, "After what Ryozanpaku's weapons master had said, I followed her advice and became a master of my own body, with my staff as a true extension of my body."

"This is the perfect opportunity to spread word of combat sumo!" exclaimed Thor, "As a martial artist, I cannot let this chance get away!"

"This is one of the biggest events in the world of martial arts! How could I know about it and not want to come!?" cheered Renka, "I'm going to show the world what the Phoenix Alliance can do!"

As the masters gaze landed on Natsu, he shrugged and answered, "I got information that my master may be on that island. I'm going to drag him back home to have him finish up training me. Plus, Kaede wants to see him again and get her 100th win off him."

"Well that's all very good reasons, but the D of D is an invitation exclusive offer. If you wanted to fight, you would have to prove in some way that you are directly under Ryozanpaku. Only my daughter and my brother's disciple could have any standing on that," frowned Kensei, "Just saying that your group is allied with us gives no real standings."

"Kekeke, you don't need to worry about that," cackled Niijima.

"Oh? And why do you say that?" asked Akisame curiously.

"Because of yours truly, the Shinpaku Alliance has been invited to the D of D!" cackled Niijima as he pulled out an invite with the Shinpaku Alliance's name on it. Everyone's jaws dropped as they saw the legitimate invite, complete with Diego's signature.

"HOW!?" was the question ringing through everyone's mind except for Apachai, who was just clapping.

"We earned enough rep to get his attention," giggled Niijima, "With the defeat of the _Zanshin Taisha Ryu_ and Spark of Yomi, not to mention Ogata mentioning our name during their meeting, I'm guessing Carlo Diego thought we were entertainment material."

'Not to mention my investments has made Shinpaku quite rich,' Niijima added mentally.

"So, you gonna take us to the island with you?" grinned Niijima at the Elder.

The Elder closed his eyes, taking a deep breath while he did so. After what seemed to be hours when in reality was just a few minutes, the Elder opened his eyes once more.

He jumped over all of them, standing in front of the boat now. He then brought his hand up, having it positioned knife-hand strike, and slashed the ground. Instantly, there was a line in between the Shinpaku Alliance and the boat.

"Please understand that during this time, we will not be able to protect you all," declared the Elder with a firm but gentle tone, "However, if you are determined to come, step forth beyond this line. Come if you are not afraid of what lies beyond this point."

Everyone in the Shinpaku Alliance hesitated at this, including Niijima. Niijima knew that just because he had knowledge of the future, it didn't mean that it was set in stone. Too many variables could come into play.

"Don't feel pressured," reassured the Elder, "Even if the Shinpaku Alliance doesn't show, I'm sure Yami will not care. They are only interested in those who have immersed themselves in the underground world of martial arts. At most, they will give you a passing glance, as they are more focused on Ryozanpaku and Kenichi."

Suddenly, a foot stepped over the line, the impact of a foot slamming down over the line echoing the pier. Everyone looked over to see Mizunuma had been the first one to do so.

"I... won't run away," stuttered Mizunuma, slowly gaining strength in his voice, "My master, Alan Subishi, was attacked and sent to a coma just to protect me. I want strength to stand by my beliefs, like Kenichi and everyone else does. Even though I'm the weakest one out of all of us, I still want to step into this world!"

His legs were shaking as he declared this, but nobody mocked him. Instead, his courage was what boosted the morale of everybody else.

"Heh, I can't be shown up like this," grinned Tsuji, "It's not manly if I don't step up!"

Tsuji slammed his foot forward, eager to join in the fight.

"This is going to be Shinpaku Alliance's big debut! There's no way I can't miss this!" declared Niijima as he stepped forward.

"Lalala, if my Demon Lord wants to go, then I, as his loyal servant, will go with him!" sang Siegfried as he too stepped forward. Niijima was more thankful that he didn't have to summon him from halfway across the globe. Matsui, who was the designated flagbearer of the Shinpaku Alliance, strode forward without hesitation.

"Hahaha, if my friends are going, so am I!" shouted Thor as he stepped forward.

"Freya-nee and I trained our ass, so no way we're going to miss this," smirked Kisara as she and Freya stepped forward. Shiratori, being Kisara's shadow, also stepped forth.

"I've been fighting day and night to try to catch up to Kenichi! Even if we're miles apart in terms of skill, I'm willing to go the distance! This tournament will help me catch up!" said Takeda as he stepped forward.

Renka and Natsu said nothing as they were already immersed into the underground world, but stepped forward anyway.

Ukita was left shaking, not knowing what to do. Sure, he had also gone through hellish training, finding a master and learning new judo moves from video games, but was it enough? He knew that he had a lot of catching up to do. Could he do it? His mind flashed back to during his spar against Taiki Yamamoto, while Naoki was at school.

 _Flashback_

"I can see that you've decided to test something new," said Taiki as he threw Ukita into the floor for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

"Goddammit, why can't I get a decent grip!?" complained Ukita as he picked himself up off the floor, "I swear, it goes better in my mind and when I test it out on dummies!"

"That's because I'm an actual person who will respond against your moves," chuckled Taiki as he sat down next to Ukita, "But you didn't answer my question from earlier. One of those new moves isn't something from my style, but something from Judo."

"Ehehehe," laughed Ukita nervously. He wasn't sure how Taiki would react to him taking in his Jiu Jitsu style and sublimating it into his own judo style.

"Don't be nervous," smiled Taiki as he put his hand onto Ukita's head and ruffling his hair, "I'm not mad. I had a feeling that would be the case when you started learning for me."

"You're not?" asked Ukita in surprise, "Aren't I stealing from the dojo technically?"

"Martial Arts has always been something used to help others. If you're using my school's moves to aid others while getting stronger, then I don't mind. Plus, Naoki will be the successor of my school style. But it wouldn't hurt for my son to have someone to push him. He's been getting a little too big-headed for his own good," explained Taiki

"But I can't even beat him," blinked Ukita.

"True, but he's been working harder than ever," smiled Taiki, "He doesn't want his junior to surpass him, so he's been throwing himself harder into training. And you've been making good progress too. So I have you to thank for that. Even in the future, when you leave my school to work on your own martial arts, you are always welcome back here for training."

Then Taiki gave a small troll grin as he put on a pair of sunglasses he had taken from Ukita, "Plus, you have nice shades."

 _Flashback ends_

Ukita took a deep breath. If Mizunuma was willing to step forward, then why couldn't he!? With that, he took his step forward.

The rest of Shinpaku Alliance were hesitant to step forward due to multiple reasons. The Valkyries all attended a private female school that was rather strict about attendance, unlike Koryo High. Kimoto and Kamioka were a bit hesitant as they were not fighters. Instead, Niijima instructed them to stay back to watch over the Shinpaku Alliance base while they were gone, and to continue information gathering on the internet. Thankful for that opportunity, they quickly left to do so.

"Hmm, so you all insist on coming," said the Elder, stroking his beard, "Kenichi, you certainly have some good friends."

"Yeah... I do," smiled Kenichi.

Minutes later, and they were all on the boat with Sakaki and Apachai deciding to be the engine power for the trip.

"So, Kimoto and Kamioka aren't coming," whispered Kenichi to Niijima, with Miu looking out for them.

"I decided it would be better," whispered Niijima back, "They wanted to come, but last time it was really risky for them. Kimoto confessed to having nightmares for weeks. It would be better to put that time into helping expand Shinpaku."

"Speaking of that," said Kenichi, glancing at Natsu, who was leaning against a wall alone, "Why is Natsu here? Wouldn't he be unwilling to leave his little sister alone for so long?"

"Kekeke, that's been covered," smirked Niijima, "He asked your parents if she could stay with them while he was on a trip, and they agreed. Also, thanks to me, he hired bodyguards to watch over her."

 _Meanwhile, back at Japan_

Kaede was humming her favorite song while skipping on the sidewalk.

"That's our target," said a man with a scar on his cheek, "We take her, and the Tanimoto corporation folds to us. We all know the boss dotes on his little sister, and if we hold her hostage and blackmail him, we will never need to work for the rest of our lives again."

"She looks delicious," said another man with a perverse grin, his tongue flicking out, "Can't wait to break her in."

"Now's our chance, let's do this," said the third companion of the trio, a female.

Before they could move, they were pinned down to the ground by several kunais. As they tried to free themselves, a figure appeared before them.

"You will leave her alone and never attempt such a thing again," said the figure, his eyes glowing with Ki, scaring the shit out of the trio, "She is under my protection, and anyone who tries will be met with swift punishment."

"HAAIII!" screamed all three before fainting.

"Haaa what a sad day this is for the _Zanshin Taisha-ryu,"_ sighed the figure as he stepped into the light to reveal himself as the Grand Headmaster of the _Zanshin Taisha-ryu_ , "For me to work as a mere bodyguard for a girl."

"My brother paid you good money for this," said Kaede without missing a beat, "If it wasn't for him, you'd be scrounging at the soup kitchen for the next meal. So don't complain, or I'll put that in my report to him."

The words pierced the martial artist right through his heart as Choju Giga bunnies hopped around him. He couldn't understand how a small girl like her, with minimal martial arts training, could hurt him so badly with just words.

* * *

 _Elsewhere_

In another location at a hospital, Kano Sho was inside a room, wearing nothing but briefs and sensor nodes while being studied. He was being tested for his reflexes and was doing exceptionally well. The doctors there who majored in sports science were ecstatic at such a test subject while being accompanied by Ogata and Hongo themselves. Hongo was irritated that they were here, stating that such toys would be unable to grasp a true martial artist's ability. Though curiously, he was still wearing shades even in the middle of a darkened room. Ogata tried to placate him, saying that it was orders from the top to see if they could get some data.

"And the fact that those two are allowed to participate in D of D, is that also from the top?" asked Hongo.

"Ah, if you're talking about the Stanley twins, Castor and Pollux, Castor's master is the one to blame for that," chuckled Ogata, "If I suggested to hold them back... well you know how that person is. He loves to be flashy."

It was then that Kano Sho managed to stick himself onto the windows where they were viewing him, "Hey, hey, hey sensei! That D of D is the freestyle tournament for those under 20 years old to fight, right? I wanna enter!"

"Just get back to the arena," commanded Hongo, "It's better if you don't enter in such a show.

"But that guy's been called in, right?" asked Sho, "Ryozanpaku's number one disciple, Shirahama Kenichi."

It was then that Kano Sho did something completely unexpected of his behavior, surprising even his master. After letting go of the edges of the window, flipping back to the ground, he actually bowed to Hongo, his back going low enough to make a 45-degree angle.

"Sensei, please, let me join the tournament, or at least view it."

Hongo blinked in surprise, knowing the boy's nature and how out of place this was.

"You're not doing this just to see that girl that you've been raving about, are you?" asked Hongo suspiciously. Though Kano was a martial artist, he was still a teenage boy with hormones.

"Wait!? Nononono!" exclaimed Sho, waving his hands in a panic, "Well, alright that might be 20... no 30% of why. The other 70% is to see what type of man Shirahama Kenichi is."

Hongo gave a small hum as he pondered about Sho's request. His mind did muse if Sho swung that way, but threw that idea out, considering how he kept talking about the girl. Somehow, this boy had gotten Sho's full attention. He absentmindedly raised his hand to touch the vertical scar that his rival, Sakaki, had given him. Perhaps here was a rival that could push Sho further, as Sakaki did for him.

"Actually, I was going to suggest that," commented Ogata, "Ryozanpaku's disciple really is something. As I mentioned in our meeting before, I don't think our disciples can win one on one as of now."

"A fight does not consist of only power and skill," retorted Hongo.

"Yes, yes, but it would still do wonders for them to observe him at the very least," replied Ogata, "They could all learn something just by watching. According to Demon Fist, his disciple was apparently easily defeated by Ryozanpaku's disciple, though he claims that his own disciple was not very strong, and can easily raise another one. I have already spoken to other members of Yami about letting Yomi at least take a trip to the D of D to see how Ryozanpaku's disciple fights."

Ogata took a small breath before continuing, "Agaard Jum Sai, Alexander Gaidar, Mikumo Kushinada, and Jisei Ro have already agreed to let their disciples head to the tournament, though only to view, not to fight. Apparently, Alexander's disciple, Boris, had eagerly agreed to this and mainly asked Tirawit Korin and Chikage Kushinada to come with him. I myself plan to have my disciples to go and watch. The only one who hasn't said anything is One Shadow himself."

Hongo merely pondered about this once more while telling the doctors to raise the pace, switch on the rubber bullets and electric shock, and lower the oxygen levels. After quickly complying with the orders, the doctors were amazed to see Sho's brainwaves, heart rate, and other data skyrocket to a point that it couldn't be normal.

"Sho, if you can endure this for 20 minutes, you have my permission to go with the other members of Yomi to VIEW only. Hayami and Seta will be accompanying you, as usual," said Hongo, giving his condition.

"Hai!" saluted Sho as he grinned, adrenaline rushing through his body.

An hour later, Sho was walking with Hongo to a helicopter, much to his distaste. He preferred airplanes, as they looked so much smoother.

"Was there anything else you wanted to add?" asked Hongo.

"Err," hesitated Sho.

Hongo glanced at Sho, lowering his sunglasses to look at him directly in the eyes.

"Heh... I can't explain it really well. When I met Miu Fuurinji, I could feel her Ki. It was like a feather in the wind, her movements similar to mine. After digging around a little more, I found out that she's from the same village as me, the Kuremisago, or rather from her mother. She had these beautiful wings that felt like they could fly in the sky with me," sighed Sho, knowing it was impossible to hide anything from his master, "However, for some reason, Shirahama Kenichi had something similar. It was very familiar... almost like they were my own. I don't remember ever meeting him throughout my life. I researched his family history and found nothing even remotely related to the Kuremisago."

"Then he may be from another family," frowned Hongo, "Though the Kuremisago is well-renowned, there are others, such as the Fuurinji family and the Kushinada family."

"Yea, I thought so too, but there's no connection to any known martial arts family within in his family. Nada. Zip. Nothing."

"Then a prodigy, like Ogata said," shrugged Hongo, "It does happen in common families. One of my old rivals was born from a nondescript family, and yet his skills and ability to analyze moves were impressive. If not for his sickness, I might have lost against him. Do not dwell on what family he is from, focus on becoming stronger than him."

"Hai!" saluted Sho, some of the burden slowly falling off of his shoulder, "So does that mean..."

"Yes, you can go," sighed Hongo.

"YATTA!" cheered Sho as the helicopter lifted off.

* * *

Soon, Ryozanpaku's boat had arrived at their destination, Fortuna's private island, where the D of D would be held. Among the private pier were rather large cruise ships that could hold up to 5000 passengers, but no guards or personnel on the pier at all.

"Why is it so empty?" asked Matsui as the boat was tied to the dock.

"Due to the terrain," explained Akisame, "It's an easily defendable terrain that's hard to attack, so they feel no need to post guards here."

"This pier is... the only place... to dock," continued Shigure as Tochumaru hopped onto her shoulder. Freya stayed as far away from her as possible.

Apachai wanted to test out its defense, only for the Elder to quickly pull him back before he did anything stupid. Soon, they arrived at an ominous looking metal door that towered over them.

"Guess this is it," gulped Thor, "This is where we take our step into the underground world of martial arts."

"Quite fitting, like the gates of hell," commented Freya.

"Whatever, let's get going!" said Kisara impatiently.

"Yea, yea!" cheered Renka.

The doors suddenly swung open, and with that, the Shinpaku Alliance members walked in, ready to face whatever was to come.

They were not ready to see what seemed like paradise within those gates of hell.

"OOOH!" exclaimed Tsuji, Thor, Takeda, Ukita, Matsui, Niijima, and Kensei.

For in front of them were plenty of women in bikinis, some not even wearing a top as they sunbathed, all playing around in a pool. While Kensei rushed forward to get a closer look, Kenichi had obediently made sure his eyes did not wander towards inappropriate areas.

"Good boy," patted Miu as she hugged his arm.

Natsu, though slightly startled by the sight, also diverted his gaze.

"Hehehe, and here I thought you would've enjoyed the sights," teased Renka as she glomped onto Natsu's arm, "Would've been an interesting report to your sister. You gazing at women in skimpy bathing suits or even being topless. Though maybe your sister ought to be worried if you're gay. Or maybe... you've seen better and can't get my figure out of your head."

Natsu scoffed, "Oh please, like I'd be interested in those bimbos without a shred of talent besides showing off their body. If I want a girl, I want her to be able to at least defend herself and manage a household."

"Oh like me?" teased Renka, "You still have to take responsibility for what you did to me."

Natsu was about to retort with denial when he thought about it. The usual reaction was them squabbling over again before usually fighting against each other, with him more often losing, much to his displeasure. So he decided to take a different approach.

"Perhaps," smirked Natsu as his face closed towards Renka, "You certainly do know how to handle yourself, and from what I've seen, you at least know how to cook a little. And your body is certainly more attractive than compared to these bimbos."

Renka visibly turned red at these compliments, not expecting such a thing. Not to mention Natsu's face was getting closer and closer to hers.

'Is he... flirting with me!? Is he going to give me a kiss!?' thought Renka, panicking at the thought. As his face got closer, Renka actually closed her eyes in expectation, her lips slightly puckered.

"Too bad you're as dumb as a doornail when it comes to academics and naive," stated Natsu as he suddenly pulled back and flicked her forehead.

Renka froze as Natsu extracted his arm from Renka's grip and walked forward nonchalantly.

"You... YOU!" raged Renka.

"Yes?" taunted Natsu.

Renka couldn't really find anything to say and pouted, keeping silent for now. She would find a way to get revenge somehow later.

Ukita was gazing at the scene of rather beautiful women when he was elbowed in the ribs and kicked in on the back. Coughing in pain, he looked to the source to see a glaring Kisara and surprisingly Shiratori.

"So you prefer those type of girls, huh?" scoffed Kisara as she walked by.

"Disgusting," added Shiratori.

Poor Ukita had no idea what to do in such a situation. He looked over to Takeda in time to see his head being smacked by Freya herself. Thor and Tsuji were smacked back to reality by Siegfried, who had been busy composing a new song than gaze at the semi-nude ladies. Niijima himself was the only one who retained control of himself moments later.

Kensei, who was rushing towards the gates, was only temporarily halted by the guards, who had tried to stop him from entering. Kensei grabbed the crossing spears and lifted the spears and the guards themselves, shouting that he couldn't wait anymore and dashed off by himself.

"Papa, you're embarrassing me," blushed Renka as she saw her father diving for the closest women, "What would mama say about this now?"

Luckily, another man took over the gate duty without missing a beat, asking the others to present their invitations. After verifying both invites from Ryozanpaku and Shinpaku Alliance, he quickly guided them to their assigned room inside the manor, where dozens of cute maids, all wearing different types of uniforms.

Again, Kenichi's will was tested as he couldn't help but look at the maid uniforms before wondering what Miu would look like in one. Just imagining that almost made his nose bleed.

"So, you like this sort of thing," said Miu with a cold tone in her voice and a glare.

"Nonono, I umm," hesitated Kenichi, looking around a bit before quietly whispering into her ear, "Sorry, I imagined you in a maid suit."

Miu blinked before blushing, jabbing a fist into Kenichi's side.

"Ok.. I deserved that," coughed Kenichi.

What Kenichi didn't know that Miu was already formulating a plan, one that involved asking one of the maids if they had a spare uniform to try on.

One by one, they all gave their luggage to the maids, though Niijima kept his PDA and other assortments on his body. Apachai had already grabbed plenty of food and was already eating. Thor eagerly grabbed some of the food off Apachai, as did Tsuji and a few others. Kensei... was enjoying his time with the ladies, burying his face into their chest, who didn't seem to mind.

"Welcome to Paradise on Earth, Despair Island!" said a voice as footsteps could be heard coming towards them. They all turned around to see a beautiful lady with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a fashionable dress that showed all her curves, especially since her right leg was uncovered, wearing a blue garter. In fact, the dress was so revealing that the cut went all the way up to her hip, and due to this, everyone could see that there was no underwear strap. Many of the boys gulped, wondering if she was actually going commando right now or that there was something covering there.

"I am in charge of showing you this island! My name is Jennifer," introduced the hostess.

Sakaki's eyes narrowed as he saw Jennifer. It had certainly been a long time since he last saw her, and yet he would recognize that face despite the years. He had been warned by Kenichi, Miu, and Niijima about her position here, acting as captain of the guard when in reality she was an undercover agent. Well, there was no need to blow her cover yet.

Jennifer began the tour, explaining the rules and regulations before finally presenting where Colosseum where they would be fighting, instructing them that they had to be there before 10 am tomorrow.

"I do hope you'll enjoy your stay here," said Jennifer as the tour was winding down, "Please, make yourselves comfortable. We will be having a banquet tonight, and this would be the perfect opportunity to meet the other competitors. If you need a suit or dress, merely ask the front desk. We have tailors and seamstresses ready to accommodate you, free of charge. You can even take it home with you."

"Really!?" blinked Tsuji.

"Of course," smiled Jennifer, "After all, you will be fighting for your lives for the entertainment of others. It's the least we can do."

Those lines put a small shiver up their spines as Jennifer left. Sakaki was staring at Jennifer as she left.

"Your... fiance?" asked Shigure suddenly, almost causing Sakaki to jump.

"Geez don't do that," coughed Sakaki, "And I told you, I don't have a fiance. She's making it all up."

"Will you tell... her about... us?" poked Shigure.

"Hell no," stated Sakaki, "And we did nothing that night... right?"

Shigure merely smirked as she walked away, her hips swaying as she walked.

"Shigure? Shigure! That doesn't tell me anything! In fact, it's misleading!" cried out Sakaki as he chased after her.

* * *

 **Next up, tournament time! Also, Endgame coming out soon!**

 **And what did Shigure and Sakaki do? Find out in the omake next chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!**

 **This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve!**

 **This chapter was probably one of my favorite to write. Find out why!**

* * *

Night fell as Ryozanpaku and the Shinpaku Alliance readied themselves for the banquet. Well, most of them. Natsu had suddenly disappeared after being assigned rooms. Renka was ready to find him and drag him to the banquet with her, but to her anger, she couldn't find him. She still needed revenge for that prank he played on her! With no time left to search, she huffed and joined the others. She had gotten a new red Cheongsam that reached that extended down to her ankles but had slits on the side so her legs were free, but in a rather provocative style so as to bait others into looking at her legs. Mainly for tease Natsu, though, and perhaps get Kenichi's attention.

Still, Kenichi was sticking very close to Miu, wearing a black tuxedo with a purple tie while Miu wore a purple dress, similar to the one she wore in the last timeline. Her hair was braided elegantly while she wore dress gloves. Miu had asked Kenichi to dress up appropriately as it could be considered a date at a fancy banquet, even if it was at the enemy's territory.

Shigure wore a pink dress with a large window on her chest to show her cleavage, though not really caring about it, similar to the last timeline. She also had her sword with her at all times.

However, surprising them all was Sakaki, who was wearing a blue tuxedo and a pink tie to match Shigure. When asked why he was dressing up, he merely mumbled some excuse that couldn't be heard, though Shigure seemed to stay near him.

In the Shinpaku Alliance, Niijima opted for a suit with strange eldritch designs. Siegfried, having his own concert attire, stuck with that. Everybody else went with dresses and tuxedos, slightly excited to be able to take them home with them.

"Oooh, you look good in that Kisara!" complimented Ukita.

"You think so?" blushed Kisara a bit, as she was wearing a red dress that went down to her thighs.

"Captain Ukita, do I look good in this?" asked Shiratori in her dress.

Ukita blinked as he stared at Shiratori. His mind was telling him that Shiratori should have been a male, but those unmistakable bumps on those chests said otherwise.

"Ah right, Ukita doesn't remember that Shiratori is a girl," facepalmed Takeda, "He kinda forgot when the three of you kicked the daylights out of him when he tripped."

Any more conversation ended when a light chime rang through the banquet hall before a voice was heard, "Everyone, it's time for the greeting of the executive producer, Smiling Fist Carlo Diego! Please direct your attention to the front."

Lights dimmed as show lights flashed towards the stage. The silence seemed to ensue as nobody seemed to be walking towards the center stage when...

"HAHAHAHA"

Everyone looked to the source of the voice above them to see Carlo Diego flipping into the stage from above, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Welcome to the Desperate Fight of Disciples, otherwise known as D of D! I'm your host, Carlo Diego, the Smiling Fist of One Shadow, Nine Fist! As everyone is aware, this tournament is sponsored by the extremely wealthy but generous Fortuna. He's quite the expert in martial arts. As you all know, this fight is a worldwide tournament for young martial artists under the age of 20! Fortuna has aided Yami regularly, and so as a show of thanks, I have been chosen to help host it! My motto is 'For the beauty of a fight, I will do anything!'"

The audience clapped with enthusiasm as Diego waved in appreciation before motioning them to quiet down, "Right now, everyone here is a guest! Enjoy the banquet! But tomorrow, the young ones who will shed their blood will also be the chosen ones! I've created a high-tech Coliseum on this island, just like the Ancient Romans. However, it will not be the blood of the slaves that baptize this Coliseum with blood, but the chosen ones! In essence, tomorrow we shall open the curtains to rigorous fights that'll surpass all fights, whether past or future! Now to introduce you to the Coliseum! Draw your attention to the large screen behind me!"

The screen flashed, and unlike the old timeline, everyone could see the Coliseum. Since the Shinpaku Alliance had received a formal invitation, there was no need to crash the banquet.

As Diego was explaining all the fine details of the Coliseum, Kenichi's eyes wandered around a bit. He didn't see Tsutomu, which was to be expected since he had a family now. He found a few of the same competitors as last time as well.

"That's all the details for now," finished off Diego, "Now go mingle! Have fun, talk to each other! Cause tomorrow, your fists, legs, or weapons will be doing the talking!"

* * *

"Come on, let's dance a little," smiled Miu as she pulled Kenichi on his arms. Coincidentally, they ran right into the Pankration team.

"Ah, greetings, you must be the Ryozanpaku team," greeted the one with a scar on the right side of his face, his hair tied in a ponytail, "Do be careful, as the floor is quite slippery sometimes. I am Spartacus, representative of team Pankration."

"Nice to meet you, too," greeted Miu and Kenichi.

"Let us meet in battle," smiled Spartacus, extending his hand to Kenichi, who shook it with a firm grip.

After saying their greetings, the Pankration team waved their goodbyes, heading off towards another part of the floor.

"Was it that weak-looking boy?" asked Alec, the male with frizzled hair extending down to his neck, "Surely he's not the one they call the strongest?"

"Maybe they're hiding their true force?" suggested Crixus, the taller of the two females on the team, wearing a hat, "Perhaps they thought this banquet could be a trap?"

However, when they didn't get a reply from Spartacus, all of them turned around to see Spartacus actually shaking.

"Spartacus, what's wrong?" asked Iris, the other female member of the team.

"He truly is strong," whispered Spartacus, "He definitely qualifies as the strongest! When you shake someone's hand, you can generally feel their true power, even if you try to hide your Ki. There's no doubt in my mind. Listen up, we mustn't let our guard down, no matter what. We will crush anyone that stands in our way for freedom. If we encounter him... then I will take him down with me to allow you all to earn your freedom."

"Spartacus, you can't be serious!" hissed Oenomaus, the last female member of their team, "He's that strong? Can't we just team up against him?"

"That was with us teaming up," nodded Spartacus, "I doubt we can handle him even with three of us. We will need all of our power combined, and I will have to risk my own life to earn our freedom."

The Pankration team fell silent as they mulled over their thoughts.

* * *

Renka huffed as she didn't see Natsu around, and decided to drag her father away from the maids as it was embarrassing.

"Well this is unexpected. Who would've thought the person responsible for the Phoenix Martial Arts Alliance would be here? Elder Ma Kensei, am I right?" drawled a voice, "And his daughter, Ma Renka, is here too!"

Both Ma members turned towards the source of the voice to see two boys and one girl wearing a rather skimpy Qi Pao.

"We're the representatives of the Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance, the Three-Headed Dragon," greeted the middle man with an evil smile and gray hair, "We are a team of the three biggest martial arts in China!"

"Hohoho, those are names I haven't heard in a long time," chuckled Ma, "Is that you, Kaku Shin Ten? You've certainly grown."

The named Kaku gripped his fan tightly with anger at the apparent lax of attitude from Ma, "Elder certainly is kind to remember me. Are these riffraffs the people you spend time with now?"

"What's with this guy?" whispered Takeda to Renka, "He seems to be holding a super grudge."

"Well, back then, our organization used to be one," explained Renka, "Then my ancestors, the Ma family, killed about 10 of their chiefs over a simple fit with ease...,"

Unable to contain his anger, Kaku snapped the fan he had in hand in half.

"It is our responsibility as a clan to hold such a grudge," snarled Kaku, "We'll beat the shit out of you peace loving weaklings. Especially the one they call 'Strongest Disciple'! No hard feelings Elder!"

With a huff, Kaku marched away with the others.

* * *

Kenichi and Miu had not noticed the conflict as they were too busy dancing with each other. Just as a song ended, a hand tapped Miu's shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" asked Sho with a smile, wearing a blue tuxedo.

"Kano Sho? What are you doing here?" blinked Kenichi as he pulled Miu behind him by instinct.

"Just came to join in the festivities," cheered Sho, "My master didn't want to let me participate, but he allowed me to watch at the very least! Oh, and since you already know me and Yomi, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to introduce you the some of the other members! We're missing a few, as they said coming to this was stupid."

Kenichi blinked as Tirawit, Boris, Chikage, and the Stanley siblings appeared before him, all wearing tuxedos and dresses, though Chikage stuck with her usual Japanese uniform. Inside his soul, he was screaming in fear. This wasn't supposed to happen! Most of Yomi wasn't supposed to be here yet!

"So this is the one you were talking about," said Tirawit in his usual calm manner.

"Doesn't seem much," commented Chikage with her emotionless tone.

"Don't be too quick to judge," warned Boris, "I thought the same too."

"He's right," nodded Tirawit as he walked around Kenichi to observe him, "He would seem like someone that could be killed very easily, and not someone you'd expect in our world or to have the 'Strongest disciple', but there's something there that I can't seem to analyze quite correctly."

"Ah, who cares?" laughed Rachel, "C'mon wonder boy, let's dance! I won't steal your boy toy for long!"

Without hesitation, Rachel dragged Kenichi with her.

"Hey wait, if anyone's getting a dance with him next it's me!" shouted Renka as she dashed forward.

"Well, seeing as he's occupied, want to dance with me?" asked Sho, "Maybe I can sweep you off your feet?"

"Is that so?" asked the Elder, suddenly appearing behind him.

"Ehehehe, just a joke?" gulped Sho, shivering at all this killing intent towards him. He had completely forgotten that the Elder was there. Even Tirawit, Boris, Chikage, and Ethan stepped away from Sho in fear, "Please don't break my body. I promise I'll be a perfect gentleman and won't do anything."

Sho would deny begging for his life.

The Elder gave him a glare, pointing two fingers at his own eyes before pointing them at Sho, telling him that he would be watching before slowly retreating.

"So... may I have this dance?" asked Sho, trying to calm himself while silently begging one of the members for a napkin or handkerchief to wipe the sweat off his hands and head. Boris obediently handed him one to use.

Miu giggled and decided to allow him one dance.

Meanwhile with Rachel and Kenichi, they were dancing... or rather Rachel was taking the lead while Kenichi was barely holding on. They were the starlight was upon them, which Rachel loved.

"We make a good combo," grinned Rachel as she closed in to give him a kiss.

She ended up kissing the air as Kenichi suddenly seemingly teleported away from her as she got closer. Meanwhile, the Elder, who was watching Sho, saw what Kenichi did and smiled.

Yomi, however, wasn't the only surprise guest.

"Ah Shigure, it's good to see my disciple sister again," said a familiar voice to Shigure.

Shigure whirled around to see Rin Tachibana standing there, in a tuxedo.

"What are ... you doing here?" asked Shigure with caution.

"I was actually invited to watch," shrugged Rin, "Diego actually had the gall to send an invite to the Armed Division of Yami, bragging that our disciples would lose. I admit I was tempted to enter my disciple in it just to shove it in his face. Instead, I decided to come and watch. I'm curious about this 'Strongest Disciple' I've been hearing about. Is it true that you're teaching him actual weapon combat?"

"Yes...," replied Shigure in her usual dull tone.

"Hahaha, now I'm tempted to see how my disciple would match up against him!" laughed Rin, "I guess the fact that he's your disciple makes me his uncle in discipleship... so to speak in the Kosaka style. Now I wish I did bring my disciple here!"

"Then... why are you... here?" asked Shigure.

"Well mainly to watch, as I said," shrugged Rin, "That, and someone from the Armed Division actually did accept the invite. Not one from the Eight Shining Executioner Blade, I assure you."

He then lowered his voice to a whisper, "However, I am worried that someone from our group has snuck in someone older than 20 and master class at that as retaliation against Diego. Our relations with each other isn't very nice if you know what I mean. I'm only here to make sure our name doesn't get disgraced with dishonor."

After clearing his throat, he looked around and saw Sakaki wearing a tie that complimented Shigure's dress.

"Ah, is he your date?" asked Rin, moving away from the subject now.

"Yes," replied Shigure with a small smile.

"Excellent, perhaps I'll talk to him then," laughed Rin, "Gotta make sure he doesn't take advantage of you!"

Meanwhile, Sakaki could feel the killing intent emanating from Jennifer, even if she was doing her best to hide it.

* * *

 _During the banquet, in the shadows of the night._

"Man, why did we end up with patrol duty?" yawned a guard as he and his partner were patrolling the grounds.

"Master Fortuna expects us to be vigilant," lectured the other, "Otherwise the Captain of the Guard might get angry."

"Who's going to come at this time at this place?" complained the first one, "We're missing out on all the food!"

Just as they passed by a rock, a shadow darted right past them.

"Stupid fools," muttered Natsu, in his Hermit gear. He darted from shadows to shadows, getting closer to his main objective.

"Hey, you!" shouted a voice.

Natsu immediately reacted by elbowing the guard calling out to him, followed by a punch to the head to knock him out. The second guard tried to stab him, only for Natsu to spin away and kick him in the face.

"Ahahaha, look what we have here?" chuckled another guard, this one bigger than the other two while wielding a trident.

Natsu's eyes narrowed as he focused, knowing this one was stronger. As the guard spun his trident while threatening to chop Natsu into pieces, Natsu heard a familiar voice.

"Axe kick."

Quickly obeying, Natsu kicked his opponent's leg while blocking the trident by hitting the shaft. The guard yelped in pain and surprise at this.

"Front kick with a backslash."

Natsu parried the trident away, spinning before kicking the guard in the stomach. After forcing the guard to bend down, Natsu slammed a palm strike into the guard's face, knocking him out.

After regaining his breath, Natsu blinked as he looked at the source of the voice, who was leaning on a pillar drinking some white rice wine. Natsu quickly attacked the shadowy figure, who parried all his blows with one hand before catching his wrist in between his index and middle finger.

Natsu winced as he tried to pull it out, but despite just two fingers latching onto his wrist, he couldn't pull it out.

"Seems like you did your homework and some more brat," smirked Ma Sogetsu as the moonlight revealed his face.

"I found you at last... Ma Sogetsu!" grinned Natsu.

Soon, the two of them were in a building reserved for Sogetsu's own purpose. Some other guards that came across them questioned why Natsu was here, but a flick to one of the guard's forehead forestalled any more arguments.

"So how'd you know I'd be here?" asked Sogetsu curiously.

"Because you'll always show up in a place with alcohol and chaos," grinned Natsu.

Sogetsu couldn't help but chuckle in agreement, taking another swig of his wine. He then easily caught another attack from Natsu, who started to argue that Sogetsu had not fulfilled his end of the deal of teaching him martial arts.

"Watch your tone, boy," growled Sogetsu darkly, but Natsu wouldn't budge, glaring at him.

"Hmm, for somebody with some talent in martial arts, plus great determination... not bad," declared Sogetsu as his growl turned into a smile as Natsu managed to free his wrist once more, "Alright brat, it's time to move on to the next level."

"Yes... master," smiled Natsu.

Silence reigned in between both of them for a bit.

"So Kaede wants to see you again," coughed Natsu, "Something about the next match being the 100th win."

"Cocky girl!" growled Sogetsu, "I'll win next time! Plus, it's only been 98 losses, not 99!"

Natsu couldn't help but giggle at this. Despite all their strength and power, Kaede had the two wrapped around her pinky.

"So, are we going to watch the matches?" asked Natsu.

"Normally, I'd so it's a pathetic game for children, but if I recall, the boy from Ryozanpaku will be attending, right?" asked Sogetsu, getting a nod from Natsu, "Perhaps we'll watch his match. Anything else would be boring and wasting time. Plus, there are quite a few masters martial artists here that'll give me a fight, excluding Ryozanpaku."

"Weren't they hired by Fortuna?" asked Natsu, "Weren't you also hired by him?"

"Hmph, I may have taken his money, but I'll do whatever I want," grinned Sogetsu.

"You haven't changed at all," sighed Natsu with an eye-roll, "You and Ryozanpaku really do get into scamming your scammers. I can see why you and Kensei are brothers."

A bit curious about that statement, Sogetsu asked Natsu to clarify that statement. He started laughing when he heard what the dojo challenge fee.

* * *

The next morning came as Ryozanpaku and Shinpaku were walking to the arena. As they did so, there was a noticeable gap between Kisara and Ukita, with Kisara shooting glances at Ukita.

 _Flashback_

The banquet had ended, and so they all returned to their rooms. Ukita ended up at the balcony with Tsuji, Thor, Siegfried, and Takeda, talking about the upcoming fights.

"So you seemed really nervous back at the docks Ukita," commented Takeda.

"Yea, well, I'm the weakest of all of us," trembled Ukita, "Even with a master, I'm not seeing the gap closing between any of us. In the past, the technique trio was something to be feared. Now, you're so far away that I'm struggling to even get to you. We used to be of similar strengths! Now everyone's leaving me behind, with or without masters!"

Of course, both of them had excluded Koga completely, but nobody cared about him.

"Man, you're trembling!" laughed Tsuji.

"Shut up!" shouted Ukita.

"Hey it's not an insult," grinned Tsuji, "Sure you're scared, but you manned up and stepped into this world, didn't you? That's a point in my book."

"And I'm sure you've gotten stronger. Our fights back at the underground arena proved that," nodded Takeda.

"Lalala, the songs of your courage is pouring out of your body!" sang Siegfried.

After some more encouragement, Ukita looked like he was finally ready to face tomorrow.

"I may not stand out as much as you all, but even if I have to die, I'll put my body on the line! Oh, and don't tell Kisara about this conversation," stated Ukita.

The trio were clueless to the fact that Kisara, Shiratori, and Freya were just around the corner and had heard everything.

"That guy is planning to put his body on the line for you," commented Freya, "Looks like he really likes you Kisara. Are you happy?"

"Who would be happy with that blockhead!?" hissed an embarrassed Kisara.

"Well... I don't mind him," said Freya off-handedly.

"Does that mean you don't mind if I get to know him better?" asked Shiratori.

'Eh!?' thought Kisara in shock.

 _Flashback ends_

Sakaki glanced at Shigure, who nodded back at his glance. Sakaki had gone to scout the perimeter a bit but had been unable to find much information. He would be trying again later on while everyone's attention was at the Colosseum with Shigure. Sakaki hoped that Jennifer's jealousy wouldn't jeopardize that mission, along with Rin watching.

Soon enough, they were all lined up with the other competitors. Renka opted to stand with Ryozanpaku as she was Kensei's daughter, who was in Ryozanpaku. There were, of course, some fine details that needed to be worked out, but she didn't care. She just wanted to fight too!

Standing in front for the Shinpaku Alliance was Niijima himself with Matsui behind him, proudly waving the flag of the Shinpaku Alliance.

"Now, without further ado, please allow our host, one of the One Shadow Nine Fists, Carlo Diego, to make his opening speech!" announced the announcer, wearing a Lucha Libre mask styled with a single eye in the center.

Diego coughed a bit to clear his throat before taking a deep breath, "The Desperate Fight of Disciples begins now! I have poured my heart and soul into this, so do enjoy my work. I'll give a brief summary of the rules, though it's really not complicated. Five people make a team, and all you have to do is defeat them all! Winning teams advances to the next round, the battle format can change from the situation. If someone has enough confidence, there's no need for a five man team, but your chances of winning are lower. And finally, please make this a superb show!"

The audience politely clapped at the end of the speech as fighters made their way to their waiting areas. Ryozanpaku and Shinpaku opted to sit together in the same booth for safety with the masters.

"And let's begin our first match!" declared the announcer, "Our first team has no name, their nationality unknown, they are the unknown special forces! We'll be calling them Black Force since they didn't want to give a name and left it to us!"

Kenichi, Miu, and Niijima tensed up, ready to react at what the next words would be coming from the announcer's mouth.

"And their opponents will be... the Capoeira team from southern Brazil! Which two of these team will win! Let's find out now!"

The trio blinked in surprise at this, unable to hide their shock.

"Remember, you can't expect past events from the old timeline to be the same," said the Elder, using his Obstructive Lung Voice technique to let only the time travelers hear his voice.

The trio looked at each other and nodded. Niijima had warned them about the butterfly effect, but had been just caught off guard at the sudden change. He would have to plan more around this.

In the end, the Capoeria team had won the fight, though not without sustaining a few injuries. It had been a 5v5 fight in a ruins setting. Aishe, the only female on the team, had many cuts all over her body but was lucky not to lose a limb. Silvio, the male member wearing a turban, aka Shinobi, had tackled Aishe out of a wire trap from the captain of the Black Force, Captain K. If not for that, then Aishe would be a leg short. Instead, Silvio's turban and strands of hair had been torn into pieces, though he didn't care as long as Aishe was safe. As the Capoeria leader delivered a knockout blow to Captain K, Aishe was starting to see Silvio in a new light.

* * *

During the fight though, Sakaki had slipped out of the booth under the pretense of heading to the bathroom. Sakaki was casually jogging away from the Colosseum and towards whatever suspicious place he could find. One of them being a building that had many cables leading towards it. He stopped as soon as he noticed someone near him.

"So, you've decided to come out here, my fiance," stated Jennifer as she came out of hiding.

"So it is you, Jenny," stated Sakaki with his eyes narrowed before relaxing, "You won't really pul-"

Bang bang bang

He didn't get to finish as he had to dodge several shots from Jennifer.

"That's dangerous dammit!" cursed Sakaki as he managed to get behind Jennifer, grabbing her arm to stop her from shooting, "Why are you still a wildcat? Being hit still hurts like hell!"

"You broke your promise," pouted Jennifer, "You promised to marry me, you big liar!"

'Kenichi and them weren't joking about Jennifer still holding onto that promise,' sighed Sakaki before retorting, "That was something I said when you were little and I was drunk!"

"Liar!" cried Jennifer, "Cheater!"

One of the guards came to investigate the noise, only to be threatened by Jennifer to get back to his post, making Sakaki feel sorry for the guard for having a horrible boss.

Fast forwarding a bit, and Sakaki was 'arrested' by Jennifer and three others. He was taken to a base with Shigure following them. When Jennifer mentioned the codeword 'Angel', Sakaki grinned as he punched one of the guards through a wall, simultaneously freeing the imprisoned American marines and knocking the guard unconscious. Jennifer swiftly turned and fired at the other two guards, who could barely believe the betrayal from their captain. They were quickly knocked out by Sakaki and Shigure, who suddenly appeared behind them. It was there that Jennifer revealed herself to be an FBI special infiltration agent.

"Speaking of Ryozanpaku," said Jennifer after introducing Sakaki, "Who is that woman! Answer me Shio, aren't I your one and only fiance!? I saw you with her at the banquet! Who is she! Are you cheating on me!?"

"Lat-" started Sakaki when Shigure poured oil onto the already burning inferno.

"His... mistress," stated Shigure, "He was... very passionate... when we were... alone."

Choju giga animals danced around when she released this time bomb. Jennifer turned into stone for a moment while Sakaki paled, whirling around to Shigure and almost begging Shigure to tell the truth, that nothing had happened. Then he heard a gun being cocked and turned to see Jennifer carrying a heavy machine gun from seemingly out of nowhere and pointing it at Sakaki. The barrel of the gun was already winding up as Jennifer's finger was closing in on the trigger.

Due to her rage, they almost lost the element of surprise.

* * *

Back at the Colosseum, it was currently the Nanken (Southern Fist) team versus the Three Headed Dragon. Though both teams were from China, it didn't stop them from doing their damn best to show which Chinese team was better.

While the fighting was going on, Fortuna's chair, specifically the armrest, vibrated for a 0.01 seconds before falling silent. Fortuna glanced down on his chair before deciding it was just his imagination.

Back at the command center, Jennifer had managed to disable the alert system just in time while Sakaki and Shigure took care of the rest of the guards. Though the room itself was riddled with bullet holes, many of which originating from Jennifer's brief rampage. Jennifer had chased Sakaki with her gun, shooting indiscriminately for a bit. When Sakaki crashed into the main control room, the guards blinked in shock, which was followed by their captain of the guard Jennifer with a big gun. None of them knew that Jennifer was an inside agent, and thought she had it handled. Which, in their defense, couldn't be faulted when Jennifer began to spray all over the room, miraculously missing the computers. It was only a swift reminder from the American marine that Jennifer snapped back to reality.

So, back at the Colosseum once more...

"I'm bored!" yawned Sho, sitting in the same booth with the Stanley twins, whose team name was Team Gemini. The other members of Yomi who attended the banquet were also there.

"Hmm, you'd think Chou Enshin would be interested in this fight, considering it's Chinese Martial Arts," commented Rachel. "Though wouldn't you be interested too since you practice it?"

"Bah, I can take all five of them out easily," bragged Sho, "It's just ants vs ants. Eight seconds flat to kill them all."

"Ten for me," analyzed Tirawit calmly.

"I don't see the point of watching these fights," stated Chikage stoically.

Boris just remained silent, standing straight and observing, mostly watching Kenichi.

All five competitors fighting heard Yomi's claim and resisted the urge to just team up and fight those damn braggarts. It was so tempting as they were of the same nationality.

In the end, the Three Headed Dragon Team won in the 1v1 matches, with only Chou Yin Lin and Yo Tekai, the female of the group and the other male with an eye patch, coming out to fight. Kaku didn't even need to get up, though he glared at Ryozanpaku and Yomi before gesturing at them with a finger across his throat.

"Heh, he's underestimating us all," grinned Takeda as he flipped him off.

"Bah, I wanna fight now!" shouted an eager Tsuji.

"Hmph, I'll show him the power of the Ma family and the Phoenix Alliance!" stated Renka.

"Alright next up shall be a team of three known as the Tri-Blades vs... Mysterious Teenager Garyu X!" declared the announcer.

This time, all actual teenagers, and not ones that time traveled, face faulted as soon as they saw that Garyu X was the Elder wearing a mask with a robotic design similar to the famous Super Sentai series.

"Ok, what the hell now!?" shouted Sho, "That's obviously a disguise!"

"Hahaha, I am the judge, and so I make the rules!" laughed Diego, "I thought you knew this."  
"I can't tell you just how wrong this is!" exclaimed Sho, "For one he's obviously past 20! Look at his damn facial hair!"

"Hmm, but on the application, he put his age as 19," hummed Diego.

The Elder had learned from the time travelers that he had made the mistake of putting his age as 20 when the tournament was under 20, not 20 and under.

"Wow, so this is what it's like to be on the viewing side?" whispered Kenichi to Miu, who giggled.

The audience were confused but let it slide, as they knew Diego would do anything to make it entertaining. Apachai was stating that he was confused, that the Elder was still next to him. Next to him was makeshift disguise that anybody but Apachai could see through. The Shinpaku Alliance wasn't faring any better, though Niijima told them to calm down.

"Bah, it's just an old man," sneered one of the swordsman as he drew out his sword, "Yomi's freaking out over nothing. Guess that's why the Armed Division is better."

Sho heard this and grew a muscle tic, "You know what, forget it. I'd rather get a front row seats at these losers now."

"Alright, round 3 fight one start!" declared Diego.

Fortuna chuckled as he asked why he would allow someone so obvious to potentially ruin the show. Diego merely smirked as he told him to just enjoy the show.

"Prepare to die!" shouted the young swordsman as he raised his sword high, "You're already halfway to the grave, so I'll send you there!"

"What is he thinking!?" Ukita almost shrieked out loud while other members of the Shinpaku Alliance tried to comprehend what was happening.

"Relax, there's a good reason for this," smirked Niijima.

Suddenly, inexplicably, the swordsman tripped and fell down to the ground.

"Oh, it looks like Sando pushed too much and tripped!" exclaimed the announcer.

The now named Sando abruptly got up in embarrassment, ready to defend himself, but Garyu X was a truly 'honorable' person and not attacking while his opponent was down, something the announcer picked up on. Sando tried to stab Garyu X, just to stumble again. And again... and again.

"Oh, what's going on? Is Sando nervous?" asked the announcer.

Diego was giggling like a child while Fortuna asked what was going on.

None of the teenagers could tell just what was going on. Sho, Tirawit, Kushinada, Boris, Ethan, and Rachel had fallen silent, trying to squint to see why Sando kept stumbling. The same was with the Shinpaku Alliance members. Even Renka, who was possibly the strongest out of their group with exception to Miu and Kenichi, had trouble seeing what was going on.

Back in the stands, hidden from view, Natsu lightly sweated at seeing the fight. Even though he couldn't see it, he could tell that the disguised Elder was doing something. His master, Ma Sogetsu, had also fallen silent to watching this spectacle.

'Why do I have a sense of deja vu?' thought Oosugi of the Muay Thai Taifun.

Both Kenichi and Miu squinted at the fight, just barely making out Elder's movements. That said, it was quite impressive for them to do so, though they were roughly 28ish now in terms of mental age. They were technically older than Shigure possibly.

Meanwhile, Sando was sweating buckets, his hands barely able to grip the sword due to the sweat.

"Hey, what's wrong? Do you need a hand?" asked Garyu X as he bent down, offering a hand, though his eyes were glinting with power that shone through the eye holes.

Sando's mind shouted at him to flee, and flee he did. Sando abandoned all pretense of fighting and dived out of the ring into the water surrounding the ring, eager to get away from Garyu X as far as possible.

"I can't explain it, but after 11 seconds, Sando forfeits the match without Garyu X even touching him!" shouted the announcer.

"Wh... what just happened?" blinked Tsuji.

"I don't know," said Thor with a sweat.

"Lalalala, the youthfulness of Garyu X pushed him away!" sang Siegfried, though also clueless at what happened.

"Kekeke, you didn't catch it?" asked Niijima.

"Shut up alien, I doubt you did either!" shouted Kisara.

"Ah but I did," smirked Niijima, "I can tell you that Garyu X was using speed so fast to trip Sando."

Before Kisara and the liars could call him a liar, Diego's voice carried over to have them watch the big screen. There, in front of everyone, was an instant replay of the eleven-second match. The video was played at 1/10th speed, but nothing seemed to show up. It wasn't until at 1/1000th speed was that everyone saw Garyu X's right leg actually becoming a blur. A commotion rang up at what this was until Diego explained that Garyu X had basically tripped Sando for the whole eleven seconds with just his right leg. The teenagers of Shinpaku Alliance looked at Niijima with shocked eyes while Siegfried sang praises to his demon lord.

"Hey, what should we do?" asked another weapons user with wide eyes from the Tri-Blades, looking nervous while starting at the supposed leader, who was a female, "He seems really dangerous!"

The leader stood there, not sure what to do.

"Hmph, enough," scoffed Garyu X before pointing directly at them, "Stop playing and come forth!"

"Oh, what's this? Is Garyu X challenging the leader of the Tri-Blades?" announced the announcer.

"Wrong! I'm talking the person behind you!" shouted Garyu X, "Slashing Murderer, Kiryu Aryu!"

The nervous looking male suddenly changed visage, his eyes narrowing with blood lust in his eyes. He quickly drew his sword and was about to slash his own 'teammates'.

The female cried out in fear, covering her head as she did so. She was prepared to die as she saw the blade come up. Then... she felt nothing. Or rather, she noticed that she didn't feel any pain, any discomfort, nothing. She slowly opened her eyes to notice Garyu X had managed to halt the blade as it was descending down to her with just his thumb and index finger.

"Just because you were exposed doesn't mean you can kill indiscriminately Kiryu!" growled Garyu X.

"Bah, she was just a distraction, some stray I picked up off the streets," spat Kiryu, "She couldn't even her job right, to hide me. But it's an honor to meet the 'Invincible Superman'. As you expect, I'm 54 years old, many of which are calling my master class. Though I'd prefer to think myself closer to Grandmaster class, rivaling the famous 'Ryozanpaku'. But how did you know who I was? I had plastic surgery done to change my appearance."

"It matters not if you can change your appearance, I can hear every cell in your body!" exclaimed Garyu X, "And your bloodthirst... well you never hid that well."

"Hmph, I only came to show the unarmed divisions who was better," scoffed Kiryu, "And the grand prize of millions of USD was a nice bonus. But the Invincible Superman's is surely worth 100x that, especially if it so exaggerated!"

 _ **Hyaku ha chinomichi**_ (100 leaves blood trail)

Kiryu had heard about the Elder, but kept on thinking that people were so exaggerating his accomplishments. After all, he was unarmed, what could he do? Not to mention his age now, surely he had slowed down? Those were his last thoughts before Garyu X knocked him out with a two finger flick to the face, sending him flying to Diego.

"Wrong, it's a million times more worth!" declared Garyu X as he sent Kiryu flying.

Diego easily snatched the unconscious Kiryu out of the air, his hand gripped onto the man's head.

"Masked Host, isn't this person a master class fighter?" asked Garyu X, his finger still pointing at Diego.

"Hoho, I'm sorry," apologized Diego with a smile, "But it did allow me to witness a great performance."

"Hmph, so you already noticed it from the start, but let me handle it... I don't care," sighed the Elder before turning to the remaining female of Tri-Blades.

"What's your name?" asked Garyu X softly and gently, ignoring the announcer's praises.

"Y-y-yui," stuttered the named Yui, "I was an orphan from the streets when my master picked me."

"Do you still view him as your master?" asked Garyu X.

Yui shook her head, "He taught me how to use a sword, but he also abused me. He gave me shelter but made me work for it. He... he kept ranting about how my body was too young, and that when I was older, he couldn't wait to taste me."

"It's alright now," said Garyu X softly as he gave her a hug, "He won't hurt you anymore."

Tears that Yui kept locked inside her spilled out of her eyes, finally feeling free.

Garyu X was trying to figure out what to do with her when someone stepped close to them. He turned to see Rin Tachibana standing there.

"I can take her," said Rin, "I promise on my name that she will not be hurt or punished. Kiryu was scum, and we were already deciding to expel him from Yami. This just finalized it, though."

"What will you do with her?" asked Garyu X, standing up to face Rin while pushing Yui behind him.

Rin merely kneeled down to Yui's height, asking Garyu X with his eyes if he could speak with her. Garyu X complied, shifting just a bit so Yui could see Rin.

"Yui, I'm sorry what you went through all this," said Rin softly, "I can tell you have no wish to be in this world any longer, but the world won't let you go so easily. So allow me to offer a compromise. I have a half-sister who's blind. Yet she has never allowed that disability to hinder her. But as her older brother, I still worry for her safety and companionship. So could you come live with my little sister? I'd prefer she have someone who can help her and be her friend at the same time. You would have food, shelter, and education. I promise you on my name and the Eight Shining Executioner Blade that you will not be harmed nor harassed while living with my sister. Anyone who dares will feel my wrath."

Yui looked at Rin, his eyes showing no deceit. She looked up to Garyu X, who gestured that it was her choice and that he would respect any choice she made.

Yui took a deep breath before walking forward to Rin.

"Will I never have to fight again?" asked Yui, "To never see Yami again?"

"I can't promise that," coughed Rin, "Despite my complaints, my little sister is involved in the martial arts world. There are some people that visit her that are from Yami, though they all know never to attempt anything. As for fighting, my sister might fight with you for fun. But never in a deathmatch for sure."

Yui nodded her head before turning to Garyu X and bowing to him.

"Thank you for saving me," thanked Yui, "But I wish to go with him."

"Do what you will child," said Garyu X as he gently rubbed her head, "This man seems trustworthy enough. But if you ever need help, just look for Ryozanpaku, and aid will surely arrive."

Rin took Yui by her hand softly and began to lead her away when he noticed Shigure and Sakaki were missing.

'Hmm, perhaps the two got bored and decided to have a private date?' mused Rin before laughing at that thought.

* * *

"Oh, that Garyu X really is cool!" commented the Elder, sitting next to Apachai and the others, as if he had never left.

All Shinpaku members except Kenichi, Miu, and Niijima, yelped and jumped back in surprise.

"Whoa, when'd you get back here!?" shouted Tsuji.

"Hmm? I've been here the whole time," replied the Elder.

'Liar,' thought the time travelers.

"Well since Garyu X finished his job, that means he's done with the tournament, right?" asked Renka, "It is a tournament for teenagers, after all."

The Elder took a deep breath for a second before turning on all of them, his eyes glowing in power as his whole figure somehow grew larger, "Garyu X is a teenager in the springtime of his youth! Of course, he's aiming for the title of champion!"

He then relaxed, as if he hadn't yelled at them, "At least, that's what I think."

The teenagers turned white with fear while Choju Giga animals behind them did the same. Matsui and Mizunuma almost had their souls escape from their body, only for Choju Giga animals to push them back in.

"Alright let's get to the next round!" declared the announcer, "The next match shall be… Ryozanpaku vs. Muay Thai Taifun!"

'SHIT!' thought Miu and Kenichi together. They had been so preoccupied with the fact that Yomi had come, and that another armed's division member joined the tournament while trying to sneak a master in, that they forgot the original master that the Elder had taken care of in the old timeline.

Even the Elder looked perturbed by this situation. The Kicking Demon Gorobee Rofusagi was hidden inside that team, though weaker than Kiryu Aryu. While Kiryu was clearly in the master class despite overestimating himself, he was the stronger of the two. But it still worried him.

"Yea let's go!" cheered Renka, only for Kenichi and Miu to stop her from joining them.

"We'll handle this one ourselves," stated Kenichi.

"After all, we are the prime members of Ryozanpaku," stated Miu, putting Noir, whom she had been petting the whole time, into Renka's hands, "Plus I need you to help keep my kitten safe."

"But... but!" started Renka, only for Ma Kensei to hit his daughter with a sleeping needle in a sleeping point.

"What was that for!?" exclaimed Thor.

"It's safer for her to not know," shushed Ma Kensei as he gently placed her back onto the chair.

"Ready?" asked Kenichi, tightening his muay thai wraps.

"With you? Always," replied Miu as she stretched her limbs.

The two of them walked towards the middle of the arena where the five members of the Muay Thai Taifun were waiting.

At Yomi's booth, each one of them fell silent as they observed the upcoming fight. Chikage still felt like her initial assessment was correct, but didn't voice it. Boris leaned forward, wanting to know more about that light within Kenichi. Tirawit was relaxed, but his eyes were focused not on Kenichi, but rather the bald member of the Muay Thai team. Rachel just wanted to be on the stage to show off. Ethan observed Kenichi, taking note of everything.

Sho, however, stood up to get a closer look.

'Show me why I see those wings,' thought Sho, 'Show me why Miu chooses to stay with you.'

* * *

There was one more spectator that nobody even knew about. Diego nor Fortuna didn't know, Ryozanpaku didn't know, and not even the time travelers knew. Sitting at one of the booths in the Colosseum in the more hidden area, a blind spot from Diego himself, sat Saiga Fuurinji himself, in his disguise. His heart breathed a sigh of relief when Diego paired Kiryu Aryu against his father. That was an opponent he did not want his daughter to face. However, Diego had paired Ryozanpku against the Muay Thai Taifun. He knew that Diego knew that their fifth member was Gorobe Robusaki, someone who was clearly above 20 and master class. If this was Diego's way of eliminating the 'Strongest Disciple'... then he would intervene.

* * *

"We'll be making this interesting!" announced Diego, "For the sake of fairness... it will be a 2v4 match up! Then, if Ryozanpaku somehow wins, then it'll be a 2v1! Let's see who the lucky... or unlucky winner, depending on how you see it, will be!?"

On the widescreen, each member of the Taifun team was labeled 1-5, with Gorobe being #3. A lottery ball machine could be seen in the screen, with multiple balls inside it. Suddenly, a ball shot out of the machine, going through the pipes before suddenly actually firing right at Diego from under the widescreen. Diego easily caught the ball before holding it up before the camera.

"Looks like #3 is going to be benched! Go on and take a seat so we can get this show on the road!" announced Diego.

Gorobe, who had been trying to act all shy, suddenly looked angry before pushing that visage back, walking back towards the booth.

As the four members of Taifun team surrounded Miu and Kenichi, the announcer raised his mic once more, "Let the match... begin!"

"And it'll end now!" taunted Oosugi, a member of team Taifun, as he charged forward. The other members followed his action, eager to pummel the 'strongest disciple'.

As they got closer and closer, Miu suddenly jumped up into the air. They all ignored this in favor of striking at Kenichi. Kenichi suddenly took a step forward, rushing towards Oosugi, who tried to smash Kenichi with an elbow to the head. Kenichi easily blocked it while maneuvering his body around Oosugi, tripping him as he did so. Oosugi stumbled right into the captain, who had been behind Kenichi, the two of them going down in a pile. The other two turned to strike at Kenichi when they both felt something slam into their head, knocking them unconscious.

Miu, who had faded from their minds, had done a perfect split kick, knocking both contestants out before landing on the ground in a crouch.

"Bitch!" shouted Oosugi and the captain as they tried to attack Miu, only for Kenichi to spring off Miu's back with his hand and perform a sideways scissor kick, knocking both opponents out at once.

With just a few moves, Kenichi and Miu ended the battle in seconds.

"And it looks like Ryozanpaku has easily taken care of the four members of team Taifun in just... seven seconds!?" shouted the announcer in shock and awe.

Silence ensued for a bit before thunderous applause rang out from the audience.

"Hmph, that was pointless," sighed Sho as he leaned back, "That told me absolutely nothing. I could've taken out those jokers in the same amount of time."

"Then the next fight should provide more interest," stated Tirawit as he finished his analysis of Gorobe, "The bald fighter isn't what he seems to be."

"Oooh, how so~?" asked Rachel.

"For one, though he seems our age, he is actually over the age limit," shared Tirawit, "It took me a while, but I recognize their 5th member. I believe Smiling Fist already knows this and wishes to use him to test out just how strong the 'strongest disciple' is."

"Just who is that person?" asked Kushinada.

"Robusaki Gorobe, the kicking demon," replied Tirawit, "In terms of power, he's a master low-level class, though pretty shitty from what my master says."

"Wait, that means they're going up against a master, shouldn't we stop that!?" Sho almost shouted.

"Indeed, that sounds rather crude," frowned Boris.

"Well from what Ogata, the Sage Fist, said, this Shirahama Kenichi is much stronger than all of us. So perhaps Smiling Fist decided to test that theory out, though he chose not to send the weapons master against them, probably because he didn't want to be that cruel," theorized Tirawit.

"That doesn't make me feel better," frowned Sho, "If Miu gets hurt because of this...,"

"Oh just relax leader, I'm sure my master has everything under control," stated Rachel as she stretched her arms, giving anyone who was staring at her a good view of her assets, "Plus, it'll be nice to see what the wonder kid can really do."

Meanwhile, Renka had managed to snap herself back awake in time to see it was now 1v2 and pouted. She desperately wanted to fight, but for some reason, her father was holding her back. She would just have to see why.

Gorobe grumbled under his breath as he took the stage. This was not how he had planned to appear in this tournament! It should have been simple! His four rather useless teammates were supposed to cover him. He would be the hidden ace in the team, barely showing his real power if possible. If it was a team fight, then he'd strike while others were distracted. He even underwent plastic surgery for this event! Which cost him a lot, and had left him in the red, so to speak. But with the prize money, he'd easily be able to live in a life of luxury!

Then came the appearance of Garyu X. He had no doubt that it was the Invincible Superman, though the question is why he was here. Then, of course, he discovered that he wasn't the only one with the same plan. Kiryu would have been a rather big obstacle in his plan, one that had been taken care of.

'I can still salvage this,' thought Gorobe, 'No doubt the host will kick him out now that Kiryu has been taken care of. I can still win this!'

Adopting a nervous and shy look, he stuttered, "Uhh, p-p-please be g-gentle."

He would lure these brats into false pretense and kill them. Gorobe barely heard the announcer yell begin as he was still mentally plotting. Turning to meet them, he almost yelped in shock at what was happening.

As soon as the announcer had yelled start, Miu and Kenichi blitzed at Gorobe at speed far beyond the usual disciple class. Miu arrived first, forcing Gorobe to try to punch Miu in the face when she suddenly disappeared from his view. Gorobe looked up in a panic, automatically thinking Miu had jumped, just to see the blue sky.

Miu had slid under Gorobe's leg, already behind him. Kenichi tried to knee Gorobe, only for Gorobe to quickly block the knee. Suddenly, he felt something latch onto his head. Before he could try to pry off whatever latched onto his head, Kenichi crouched and attacked his legs. Seeing his legs leaving the ground, Miu began to hurl Gorobe out of the arena with her legs. She had caught Gorobe with her feet while doing a handstand, and in one smooth motion, tossed Gorobe into the air.

"They did it!" shouted Kisara in excitement.

Unfortunately, that statement was proven false. Gorobe managed to grab the edge of the arena with just his fingers, stopping his momentum. Miu had been unable properly throw Gorobe as he escaped Miu during mid-throw.

"Presumptuous brats!" snarled Gorobe, losing his meek facade while his eyes snapped open, "I'll kill you both!"

With a grunt, Gorobe threw himself up into the air, diving towards Kenichi and Miu.

"DIE! _**Chou Jikuu Tobi Chaker!**_ " (Super Dimensional Flying Knee Assault)

A barrage of knee attacks came flying towards Kenichi and Miu, each hit that would've killed a normal person.

Kenichi was already using Ryusui Seikuken while Miu had already ignited her own Ki to heighten her senses. With those active, the two of them dodged or parried Gorobe's attack before leaping back after he landed.

"Hoo, not bad, but how long can you last!?" mocked Gorobe as he dashed forward. He threw a barrage of punches, kicks, knees, and elbows at the two, ramping up the speed as he did so. It was then Gorobe noticed he was only scoring glancing blows. Suddenly, Kenichi intercepted one of his attacks and dove into his chest, shoulder bashing him as he did so. The sudden attack interrupted his own rhythm and Gorobe found himself blocking an arc kick from Miu. Soon, the other two were attacking Gorobe while he was on the defense, something that angered him a lot.

"Don't get so cocky!" roared Gorobe as he tanked a few hits from Kenichi and Miu, diving in between the two. With a swift kick to Kenichi and an elbow to Miu simultaneously, he separated the two from each other. Both had managed to block the attacks, but the kick sent Kenichi much further away, which was what Gorobe wanted. He quickly focused his attack all on Miu. Finally, he clinched Miu and got a knee right into her stomach.

Miu coughed up blood as Gorobe kneed her two more times before throwing Miu into the floor. Gorobe was ready to crush her skull under his foot when he felt killing intent from behind. Gorobe's senses went into overdrive as he jumped away from a rising overhead knee to his face.

"Miu, are you alright?" asked Kenichi frantically as he stood over Miu, protecting her from further attack.

"Yea, my inner Ki and muscles took it," groaned Miu before coughing up a bit more blood, "Just give me a minute to recover."

Kenichi could tell that Miu was lying. Just from a single glance, she could tell her ribs had been heavily bruised, if not fractured. He was no strangers to those injuries, considering whom his masters were (Especially with Apachai!).

"How dare you!" growled Kenichi as he glared at Gorobe.

"How dare I?" taunted Gorobe, "How dare you stand in front of me right now! If you hadn't just given up earlier, then none of this would've happened. If you hadn't stopped me from crushing the girl's head, She wouldn't be suffering right now!"

Kenichi eye's narrowed before putting his fists up once more. Gorobe would've charged in to take Kenichi out... if it wasn't for the fact the Ki he was feeling from Kenichi now far surpassed his. It was clearly _**Ki no Shoaku**_ , something even he hadn't achieved yet. Though he was in the Master Class, he was still Low Class Master. Even Master Class Masters barely touched _**Ki no Shaoku**_ , mainly using _**Ki no Kaiho**_. Those that could use it were regarded as Grand Master level, and those with complete mastery of it were Legendary Masters.

"What... the... hell?" stated Sho slowly as he stood up, reeling from the Ki he was feeling from Kenichi. Sho glanced around to see he wasn't the only one who was reacting like this. Boris's eyes had widened, Ethan was now standing, Rachel was blinking rapidly, Kushinada, whose eyes had been wandering, locked right onto Kenichi, and Tirawit looked like he was suffering a slight malfunction. Inside Tirawit's mind, program Tirawit_ had stopped functioning.

Even Carlo Diego, who had been appreciating the show while leaning on his arm, slowly stood up, as if to get a closer look. Fortuna, who was still sitting on his chair, gazed hungrily at Kenichi.

From his hiding spot, Saiga had been ready to intervene when he saw his daughter in danger, only for Kenichi to prevent that. Then he felt Kenichi release his Ki and blinked in surprise. He recognized the fact that Kenichi was willing to fight a Master Class fighter, granted a rather low one, to protect Miu. Perhaps... this boy was someone whom he could trust to protect Miu.

"Thats... thats..," stammered Renka, barely able to form a sentence. When Gorobe had attacked, she could tell that Gorobe was stronger than he seemed. When her father admitted to just who Gorobe was, she screeched, saying she could've helped. Now that she saw Kenichi and Miu fight for real for once, she had our doubts whether she could've helped or would've just been in the way.

At one of the long hallways leading to the Colosseum, Ma Sogetsu merely raised his eyebrow. He was well aware that Kenichi had learned Ki no Shouka, as he had been using it to observe his fight with his brother. Still, this fight certainly would be educational for Natsu and entertaining for himself. Natsu himself was staring at the fight with intense concentration.

The Shinpaku Alliance sat nervously as they saw Miu coughing up blood. The Elder himself had to restrain himself when he saw Miu take the hit. He almost ran into the ring when he saw Gorobe raising his leg to attack Miu while she was down. He wasn't the only one to do so, as Kensei, Akisame, and Apachai were also ready to strike. Then came Kenichi, driving Gorobe away.

"It really is in his nature," smiled the Elder, "Whenever his friends are in danger, his true potential shows."

"Apapa, go Kenichi!" cheered Apachai.

It was when Kenichi released his Ki that Takeda and the others truly realized that Kenichi was at a different level than them all.

"Should we be worried that Kenichi has publicly revealed his control of his Ki?" whispered Kensei.

Akisame shook his head, "It was bound to come out eventually. It just means we'll have to up Kenichi's training by twofold once more."

The other competitors who were watching this fight also faltered when they felt Kenichi's Ki wash over them.

* * *

Back with the fight, Kenichi slowly shifted his stance until he took a stance similar to modern Muay Thai.

"Ha, fighting me, a Muay Thai master with Muay Thai!?" taunted Gorobe, "You're a fool to do so! Not to mention, your stance is all wrong! Let me show you how a real Muay Thai fighter fights!"

Sho couldn't help but glance at Kenichi's stance, looking puzzled at his stance too. He figured that Kenichi learned multiple styles like he did, but something about the stance threw him off.

"No... That's an Ancient Muay Thai style, Muay Boran!" exclaimed Tirawit, his mind having rebooted from the unexpected crash.

"Muay Boran?" asked Sho with interest, "That's not something I'm aware of."

"My master hasn't taught you that yet," replied Tirawit distractedly, "It's the original muay thai, before it became a national sport. It was designed to kill people."

"Isn't he a part of Katsujinken, though?" inquired Kushinada, "Why would he use such a murderous style?"

"Perhaps this opponent isn't someone he can afford to use a soft style on," theorized Boris.

"That all doesn't matter," snorted Rachel, "What's most important is... that he's showing off way too much! It's going to be hard for me to draw all the attention when I fight now!"

The others almost face faulted while Rachel continued to whine while her brother tried to comfort her.

Indeed, Kenichi was using Muay Boran. He had learned it when Apachai stated that Kenichi was good enough to start learning it, as he also wanted to pass down its style to him just like his master did before. Of course, learning it was a rather huge hurdle. Not just because of Kenichi himself, but rather Apachai really didn't know how to hold back on that style. On more than one occasion, Kenichi had almost died just sparring with Apachai using that style. It was rather effective, as the style was ingrained into his body, even if it was via fear.

Kenichi charged at Gorobe, intent on pushing the fight away from Miu to protect her. Gorobe complied, throwing an Ti Sok or elbow strike at Kenichi's face. Kenichi responded by spinning away from the hit before countering with a spinning Ti Sok. Gorobe parried it, shooting his hands out to clinch Kenichi's head to knee him. Kenichi quickly broke apart the clinch, putting his hands down to prevent the knee from landing.

Kenichi then jumped to knee Gorobe in the face, who merely leaned back to dodge it. Gorobe eagerly began to step forward only to get a snap kick right into his face. Kenichi had transformed the knee strike into a snap kick.

Gorobe growled in rage as he punched Kenichi in the stomach. Kenichi managed to put his hands in to guard, but the impact still drove him back, sending him tumbling to the ground. Kenichi managed to right himself and narrowly dodge a rushing knee strike from Gorobe. The two of them began to clash, dodging while attacking. Kenichi was more defending for his life as Gorobe was still more experienced despite his own mastery of using Ki.

Gorobe found a hole through Kenichi's defense and landed a liver blow at Kenichi. He was quite surprised to see Kenichi still standing despite taking the hit, but merely continued his attack.

'He's almost done. If a liver punch won't do it, then I'll just take off his head!' though Gorobe.

Suddenly, Kenichi stepped forward, dodging left to dodge a fist to his face. His right arm caught around Gorobe's neck and forced his head down into a headlock.

'He's desperate,' thought Gorobe as he was ready to punch Kenichi in the gut to get himself out of this headlock. Then Gorobe found his face in a world of pain as Kenichi rained in backward heel strikes all over his face, Kenichi's eyes glowing with Ki.

Narok Ginali Ren Nam

Before Gorobe could force himself free, Kenichi had already let go, letting Gorobe back up when he resisted just in time to get a snap kick to the face.

"Asshole!" roared Gorobe as he recovered and landed a huge arc kick right at Kenichi's side. Kenichi coughed up blood as he took the hit.

"It's over," sneered Gorobe, knowing he had landed a good hit at Kenichi's internal organs. With the total damage, Kenichi should black out.

Suddenly, Kenichi grabbed Gorobe's leg, locking him in place.

"What, how!?" shouted Gorobe, "You should be unconscious or internally bleeding!"

"He's using Naizouage," stated Sho from the side, his eyes narrowed and completely focused, when his fellow members looked in shock and confusion, "It's a breathing technique in karate that raises the user's organs into their rib cage to protect them from enemy hits."

"Let go," growled Gorobe as he tried to pull his leg back.

Kenichi refused to do so, and with his remaining strength, clung on tight and shouted, "MIU!"

Gorobe felt a monstrous amount of Ki welling from behind him and gulped. He had forgotten the fact that it was two vs one, and that Miu wasn't knocked out yet. He turned his head back to see Miu already up, the pupils in her eyes glowing with fire and ki. Gorobe tried to pull his leg back, but Kenichi wasn't letting go. Instead, Gorobe began to focus on withstanding the pain that was surely about to come, tightening his muscles and condensing the ki within his body.

Miu wasn't one to disappoint. She bent her knees slightly, coiling her whole body before launching herself at Gorobe. She slammed a double punch right into Gorobe's back, starting her attack. Next up, she coiled around Gorobe's body, using her knowledge of Silat to disable an arm joint. Then she kneed his head as hard as she could.

At this point, Kenichi had finally let go of Gorobe's leg, though not before doing his best to break his knee while holding it hostage with one of the first moves he learned from Kensei.

Miu spun around Gorobe's body a few more time, punching and kicking as she did before finally sending Gorobe away, kicking off him. While Gorobe landed on the ground on his back, he was still very much capable of fighting. All he had to do was tank this last hit, and if he was still conscious, he would murder these brats!

Miu felt her ribs hurting even more as she attacked, but she couldn't give up. Kenichi as bought her time to regain control of her body, taking heavy damage as he did so. He had sacrificed so much for her. If Gorobe wasn't out by the final attack, she knew they would lose.

She imagined what the future would be like. A future where they died. A future where Ryozanpaku would seem so empty without them. A place where her father would never know that she knew the truth and forgave him. A future full of sadness, a future where she wouldn't be able to fulfill her dream of becoming a bride. A future where Yomi killed her friends. A future where Kenichi's family mourned for their only son.

Memories caught up with her, where she experienced a mother's hug from Kenichi's mom, Saori. It was truly her first time experiencing such a thing. Her father, coming to see her play, as well as her grandfather, along with the rest of Ryozanpaku. All the happy memories she had.

This was something she was never willing to give up!

"HHHHAAAA!" screamed Miu as she began her descent down for her most powerful attack.

With all that emotion, the fact that she was really 28 in terms of mental years, and the fact she had been training to catch up to Kenichi in terms of Ki control, she momentarily touched that realm.

The realm of Ki no Shouka.

Even the Elder stood up in surprise, sensing his granddaughter's Ki control just hitting that realm. Saiga stood up from his seat, his heart beating louder and louder as he watched Miu. He was worried about his daughter's future now that she showed she could reach Ki no Shouka at such a young age, but most importantly, he felt pride for his daughter.

"Can you see her now, Shizuha?" whispered Saiga, "Our daughter has come so far. She's a bird, leaving her nest now to fly in the endless sky."

"Oh come on, her too!?" complained Rachel, "How am I supposed to outshine them if they keep doing shit like this?"

"Another one?" mused Tirawit, "It seems Ryozanpaku's training are leagues beyond our own, or those two are truly geniuses."

"It will be a hard battle if we fight Ryozanpaku's strongest disciple," noted Boris.

"Yea, but not everything is based on power and skill," said Sho distractedly, "My master has always told me the most important factor is the tenacity for victory."

He was too busy admiring Miu right now.

"Hoho, another one? It seems like this got more interesting," chuckled Carlo.

"I want them," drooled Fortuna, "I want them, I want them, I want them, I want them, I want them for my collection!"

'Good luck with that,' thought Carlo, 'You'll have to go through the Invincible Superman, and I don't think he likes that idea.'

"Oh you got to be shitti-!" gulped Gorobe, unable to finish his sentence as Miu's attack landed.

 _ **Fuurinji Kou Suzaku Yoku**_

With the final touch of Ki no Shouka, her ultimate move was upgraded from just a phoenix into one of the most powerful one of them all.

Miu's leg smashed into Gorobe's chest, drilling in while disrupting Gorobe's own Ki control in defending. With that final move, Gorobe fell unconscious.

Miu limped over to Kenichi, who managed to pick himself up and limp over to her. The two of them collapsed onto each other, using each other's body to support their own.

"And the winner of this round is Ryozanpaku!" announced the announcer, causing the captivated audience to wildly applause for them, "What an incredible match! The other competitors will be hard-pressed to match this one."

As soon as that announcement came out, the Elder was already upon them, taking Kenichi and Miu before rushing them towards Akisame and Kensei.

"You both did well," stated the Elder proudly as he gently placed both of them onto stretchers that had arrived, "Get some good rest. The injuries you received today were not light. Akisame and Kensei will treat your injuries."

Seeing as they were back to safety now, exhaustion caught up to the both of them viciously as the adrenaline wore off. As the two time travelers faded into sleep, their hands were clasped together, never letting go as they were transported to a hospital room with Kensei and Akisame

* * *

 **Ta daa! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Next up will be Shinpaku vs... it's a surprise!**

 **Review if you can! And also, omake!**

* * *

 **Omake: What really happened that night!**

Sakaki had been drinking a lot of heavy stuff. And why wouldn't he, he had just earned a fortune! Even with Miu confiscating more than half, it was enough to get him shit drunk to celebrate!

"Bartender, get me another Earthquake!" laughed Sakaki.

"Yes sir," nodded the bartender before turning a bit, "And for you, young miss?"

"I'll... have the... same," said Shigure.

" #$%#^ ," cursed Sakaki as he almost jumped out of his seat, "When'd you get here?"

"Miu sent me... to make sure... you get home safely," replied Shigure.

"She didn't have to do that," muttered Sakaki, "I don't get that shit faced drunk."

"She was worried you might with your winnings," replied Shigure.

Sakaki mumbled a bit more before taking the cocktail and drinking it in one go. Shigure took a sip of hers and slightly winced at the alcohol content. She was about to try once more before Sakaki took it off her hands.

"That drink is way too strong for someone who rarely drinks at all," explained Sakaki before calling the bartender over, "Get my friend a Cinderella."

"Ah, a nice choice of drink," nodded the bartender, "One beautiful drink for the beautiful companion of yours, coming up."

Both Sakaki and Shigure blushed and mumbled some unintelligible words while waiting.

A few hours and several drinks later, Shigure ended up carrying Sakaki's arm over her shoulder while dragging him home. A few muggers and gangster tried to … mug or use other forms of violence, only to be sent flying into the wall by a punch, their clothes sliced into pieces, or kicked into the air before landing on the pavement with a splat. Even if Sakaki was drunk, it meant nothing when going against the average person.

"I'm tired!" shouted Sakaki quite drunkenly, "Let's just sleep on the floor."

"There's... a hotel... here to use. Can be used... to stay... overnight," suggested Shigure, pointing to a nearby building. In front of the building had the prices, including overnight stay.

"Eh, sure. Here's 8000 yen, should be enough," grunted Sakaki as he gave the yen to Shigure.

The two of them walked into the hotel, Sakaki never noticing the heart signs next the hotel's name as well as price listed not only for overnight, but for hours, ranging from one hour to three hours.

That morning

"Urg, my head," groaned Sakaki as he woke up, "Haven't gotten shit faced like that for a while. Now where am... I...?"

He trailed off as he noticed the ceiling wasn't the usual wooden ceilings of Ryozanpaku, but of a red color. He could feel that he was laying on a rather comfortable bed with silk sheets on top of him, which was weird as he had never bought those before. He blinked once more as his eyes roved over the room, noticing the rather explicit contents in the room. He then felt something very soft pressed against his chest, and slowly looked down while giving off a cold sweat.

There lied Shigure with her hair down, and based on the fact he could feel skin, she wasn't wearing clothes. He noticed his own jacket was off before slowly lifting the blanket just to confirm something.

Yep, no clothes there either on either of them.

'What the hell happened!?' screamed Sakaki mentally as he began to quickly go through his own memories.

Sakaki remembered entering the hotel, and how weird it was that they had to press a button to get a specific room key, and how they paid through a slot in the wall where they couldn't see the receptionist. He quickly took that information in before realizing the truth.

'We're in a love hotel!? Did I actually do it with Shigure? I don't remember anything after that! All I remember is climbing onto the bed... and everything else is blank! Shit, maybe Shigure knows... nononono don't move your legs towards Sakaki Junior!'

Shigure yawned as she raised her head to look Sakaki in the face.

"Hehehe, morning," greeted Sakaki nervously, "Err... we didn't actually... you know?"

"You were … very passionate," replied Shigure, causing a gasket to detonate in Sakaki's head.

'Shit, I did do it? Dammit, why can't I remember? Oh man Akisame is going to kill me!' thought Sakaki.

In truth, they didn't do anything. Sakaki had fallen straight asleep after landing in bed. Shigure, however, stripped him of all his clothes while he was sleeping while also disrobing. Shigure was used to either sleeping nude or with just a very thing bathrobe that barely covered anything. She thought other people also slept in the nude, and thus disrobed Sakaki to make him comfortable. As she was also raised very differently, nudity amongst friends and family did not offend her at all. Shigure had taken baths with her previous master completely nude, even if he was old. She only attacked Kensei due to principles.

As for the passionate part... Sakaki was a cuddler. As soon as she laid down next to him, he automatically hugged her tightly, to which she didn't mind. And so, she fell asleep like that...


	16. Chapter 16

**Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!**

 **This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve!**

 **As you can tell, the path are starting to diverge a bit. This chapter was fun to write, especially since it was easier for me to write!**

 **Also, one of the teams didn't give the team members name, so I kind of made them up just for the story sake. Only one of them was actually listed. But time to find out which team the Shinpaku Alliance will fight!**

* * *

"Well wasn't that exciting!?" shouted the announcer as Kensei and Akisame took Miu and Kenichi to the nearest room so they could treat their wounds.

The crowd cheered in agreement as the competitors, who had been watching, were shaken out of their trance.

"So that's Ryozanpaku's strongest disciple?" hissed one competitor.

"Those two were able to take out a master class," commented another.

"Truly the biggest obstacle in the tournament."

"Are we sure they're below 20 and not faking it like those other three?"

"Regardless, he and the other are currently weakened, that means we still have a chance!"

"If we can defeat him in that state, then the title of strongest is surely ours!"

While the competitors were discussing this, Shou's eyes closed as he contemplated what to do.

"Hey leader, whatcha planning?" asked Rachel curiously.

"Just... stuff," replied Shou.

"Well whatever it is, it better not interfere with my match," warned Rachel, "It's up to me to take the limelight back!"

Ethan could only sigh at his older sister's antics.

* * *

Back with the Shinpaku Alliance, Takeda and the others looked at Kenichi and Miu with worry as they were carried out.

"Think they'll be okay?" asked Takeda.

"Feh, they'll be fine," Niijima said with a calming tone, "Those two are with the best doctors in the world. They should be up and running after today."

"I hope so," frowned Ukita.

"Err, I don't think we'll have time to worry about them for a bit," pointed out Matsui, looking at the large screen, which just posted the tournament brackets.

"Aaanndd to keep this going, we have the Shinpaku Alliance vs. the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team!" shouted the announcer.

"Guess we'll have to worry about them another time," stated Freya as she stretched her arms.

"Yea, we'll visit them after we beat up these assholes," grinned Kisara as she raised her legs up to prepare.

"So who's going first!?" shouted Tsuji with a huge grin, "I don't mind wiping these punks out first!"

Niijima hummed as he debated on just whom to send while Diego announced it was going to be a one on one elimination match for them. He debated on having Tsuji actually going first when both Mizunuma and Ukita both stepped forward.

"Let me go first," said both of them before glancing at each other.

"I should go first, I'm the weakest, but I can at least find out how strong they are," stated Mizunuma, "Plus, I have a reason to fight!"

Mizunuma's eyes slowly turned towards the first member of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team... no, his stare went past him. He was glaring directly at Tirawit Kokin with hatred in his eyes.

"Hmm? Seems like that boy knows you," said Boris, noticing Mizunuma's glare.

"I have no idea who he is," replied Tirawit without care, "If he wasn't a target, then I don't recall meeting him nor bothered remembering him."

Mizunuma actually growled when he heard Tirawit's statement, and really wanted to rush over there to punch him. However, he knew that despite all his bravado, he would easily be killed. His master, Alan Subishi, had risked his life to make sure Mizunuma was safe and was currently in a coma. The police did nothing to help out. So instead, he wanted to prove himself first. He would climb up until he could face Yomi!

Niijima made a grunt of acknowledgment before turning to Ukita.

"I... I want to prove to myself and my friends that I won't hold them back!" stated Ukita.

"Ukita, no one thinks like tha-," started Takeda, only for Ukita to shake his head.

"I know... That besides Mizunuma, who isn't really a fighter, no offense there. (None taken-Mizunuma) That I'm the weakest of all of us. I used to be Ukita the Thrower of the Technique Trio, someone feared in the streets. Now? Now I'm barely anyone. Takeda already left me in the dust while everyone is getting further and further ahead. I'm scrambling just to try to make sure I'm not left in the dust."

Ukita then turned towards the opponents, "Plus, the team we're fighting is a Jiu Jitsu team. I've taken Judo and Jiu Jitsu, so I'm also eager to test my skills against them."

Niijima looked at Mizunuma and Ukita, closing his eyes for a bit before making a decision.

"Mizunuma, you're up first," stated Niijima, "But you'll only fight for one round, even if you win. Keep in mind that this is no longer the regular world in the streets. The enemy will not hesitate to hurt you. Never let your guard down until it's truly over. Ukita, you'll go up next and fight as many rounds as you can. I'll decide who goes next if needed."

Ukita frowned but nodded in agreement while Mizunuma quickly switched into a karate gi before entering the ring.

* * *

While Mizunuma was walking towards the ring, the Shinpaku members could hear the audience dissing them, making bets on how fast they would be eliminated.

"Hmm, how to describe this?" mused the announcer out loud, "A straight up nerdy looking student picking a fight with a martial artist who looks ready to pulverize his enemy. This outcome will certainly be interesting!"

"Hahaha, karate?" laughed the captain of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team, wearing a white gi whereas his teammates wore red and brown. He had a thunderbolt tattoo on his face to make him look tougher.

"Martial Art is a science! We have done a countless amount of research and accumulated experience beyond anything that people could imagine! That's why our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the most perfect martial arts in the world! Comparing techniques, yours is nothing but primitive!"

This time, Chikage grew a tick mark at this loud man's proclamation. She had her pride as a student of the Bewitching Fist, Mikumo Kushinada, and the Kushinada style Jiu Jitsu. In her opinion, her master's style was the prefect Jiu Jitsu style.

Mizunuma merely took up his fighting pose while his opponent, the only skinhead in the group, grinned as if viewing Mizunuma as an easy opponent.

"Andrew, take him out fast," shouted the captain, "It should only take a few seconds to tear off his limbs and annihilate him!"

"Yes captain Aaron!" replied Andrew.

"Alright, ignite your souls and begin!" shouted Diego, announcing the start of the match.

Andrew rushed at Mizunuma, throwing a palm strike at his face. Mizunuma quickly blocked it, but the impact sent him stumbling back a few steps. Andrew went low, attempting to tackle him to the floor. Mizunuma quickly retaliated with a snap kick, to which Andrew easily dodged before swerving behind Mizunuma, grabbing him in a sleeper hold.

"Heh, I don't even need to do anything complicated," chuckled Andrew as he tightened the hold, "This will end it."

"Mizunuma! You have a home to go to, just give up!" cried Matsui while waving his flag.

The other Shinpaku members looked worried while Ukita was throttling Niijima, saying he should have gone first, and that Mizunuma now had to suffer the consequences.

"Oh shut up," snapped Tsuji, shocking quite a few of them, "He hasn't given up yet. You can see it in his eyes."

Mizunuma slightly lifted his right arm, making sure his opponent's head was in the correct area before performing his signature move.

 _ **Backwards Machine Gun, Heavy!**_

A barrage of elbows and punches slammed into Andrew's face, catching him by surprise, and he ended up releasing Mizunuma.

"Lalala, my demon lord's intuition in on the mark, as usual!" sang Siegfried.

The crowd oohed and aaahhhed at Mizunuma's counter while Fortuna chuckled, saying how it was totally unexpected.

"That damn brat, getting so much attention," growled Rachel, crushing a part of the wall now. She eagerly wanted to get on stage soon.

"Andrew, stop playing around!" shouted Aaron, "Finish him off now! You should be ashamed of yourself for being caught in such a petty trick!"

Andrew quickly picked himself up before tackling Mizunuma to the floor, where he began wailing on him savagely. After the 12th punch, Andrew grabbed Mizunuma by the gi, ready to slam him into the floor when Mizunuma struck Andrew in the balls with a swift kick. Andrew staggered back in pain while Mizunuma stood up with a grin, thinking he had won.

"Mizunuma, pay attention!" snapped Niijima, seeing Mizunuma starting to relax.

Mizunuma wildly blinked at this order but obeyed as he quickly turned to his opponent just in time to block a fist coming towards his face.

"And Andrew stands up to attack! The kick the balls seems to have unphased him!" shouted the announcer.

Andrew was done playing around and struck hard. He grabbed Mizunuma's flailing left arm and quickly dislocated it. Mizunuma cried in pain as he tried to punch him, only for Andrew to catch it and break his right arm from the elbow up.

"Enough, he can't fight anymore!" shouted Takeda in worry, ready to hurl the towel in. However, before he could do so, Niijima stopped him.

"Forget it, even if we do that, it's up to the host's decision whether to accept it or not. If we throw the towel in, it'll just give his opponent something to use to choke him."

Takeda ground his teeth in anger while the others argued, but a swift look to the Elder told them that Niijima's assumption was right.

Mizunuma stood there helplessly with both arms unusable while Andrew looked like he wanted to play some more until...

"Enough Andrew. End it now. You're a disgrace for having this match go on for so long," snapped Aaron.

Andrew growled in anger but obeyed, going for one more grab.

'Is this all I can do?' thought Mizunuma as he dazedly watched Andrew coming for him. His mind wandered as he remembered his master's words, that in order to get stronger, was to not be defeated. To never let his spirit give up. He remembered Kenichi and Miu fighting that Master, never losing hope before actually beating him. He recalled Takeda standing up to Tenmon Li without fear.

'Even if I don't have my arms... even if my legs won't listen to me... There's one thing I can do still!'

As Andrew was about to grab him, Mizunuma threw back his head and headbutted Andrew right in the nose. A sickening crack could be heard upon impact, causing the audience to wince. The two fighters stood there, clashed against each other before Mizunuma collapsed to the ground, no longer having the strength to stand.

'Guess that's all I can do,' sighed Mizunuma in his mind as he looked up, waiting for Andrew to take his revenge. He did wonder why he wasn't moving, though.

That question was answered when Andrew also slumped into the ground unconscious.

* * *

"The first fight between two competitors ends in a draw!" announced Diego, causing the crowd to applaud politely while each team went to fetch their teammates.

"You did it Mizunuma!" cried Matsui, "You took out your opponent!"

"I did, didn't I?" chuckled Mizunuma as he was being carried away in a stretcher to Akisame.

"Nicely done," said Tsuji, "Quite manly of you to use that headbutt."

"The song of your will shall certainly inspire us all!" sang Siegfried.

"Will the next combatants please step up!?" shouted the announcer.

"Guess it's me," said Ukita as he got up, "I'll sweep the rest of the competition!"

Meanwhile, Andrew was being verbally torn apart by his captain.

"How could you lose!" shouted Aaron when Andrew woke up, "You're a disgrace to our program! You actually lost to a third rate karate fighter! Be prepared to be punished when we finish this round! Anthony, you're up next. Show them the true power of our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the most perfect martial arts in the world!"

"Yes, captain!" shouted Anthony as he quickly ran into the ring to see Ukita waiting.

"Another karate user?" sneered Anthony.

Ukita shook his head, "I use Judo and Jiu Jitsu mainly."

Anthony's scorn softened a little after hearing that, but he still maintained that fierce face before charging in when the gong rang, "Ha. Then this is the perfect opportunity to show why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the best! I'll end this under a minute!"

A second later, Anthony was sent flying up in the air in shock. Ukita used Anthony's momentum against him, grabbing his hands before they could latch on to his own Gi, then easily fell onto his back before launching Anthony up in the air with a throw and a thrust kick. Before Anthony could even recover, Ukita was already up and running towards him before jumping into the air, grabbing Anthony as he did so before spinning and hurling him into the ground as they both landed.

Anthony coughed up the air in his lungs from impact but quickly wrapped his legs around Ukita's waist.

"Caught you!" shouted Anthony, "As long as I keep this posture, I can attack you!"

With that, he began punching Ukita, landing two hits before Ukita grabbed his gi once more.

"You forget, I practice Judo. This can't be counted as being caught," grinned Ukita before slamming his opponent into the concrete floor twice.

Anthony's leg uncoiled, allowing Ukita more room to throw him into the floor, again and again, going back and forth like a pendulum before tossing Anthony off the ring.

"And a clear victor this time! The winner is Shinpaku Alliance for this round!" shouted the announcer.

Ukita grinned as he raised his hands while Takeda and the others cheered for him.

"He's come quite far," noted Freya, egging Kisara a bit, "Seems like he's out there to prove something for someone, isn't he?"

Kisara pushed her hat down to her face to hide her blush in reply.

Aaron looked like he was going to explode, though he kept a controlled tone as he sent Austin out. Surely he would be able to win!

* * *

Several minutes later, Ukita threw his opponent out of the ring, getting another victory for the team, though his face was heavily bruised and seemed to be rubbing his ribs in pain. Austin had managed to land a few good hits and throws against him.

"Hmm, should I switch him out?" pondered Niijima, but before he could finish contemplating that, a glare from Ukita told him otherwise. Ukita wanted to keep going, and fighting opponents who specialized in another branch of Jiu Jitsu was great training for him.

Aaron, though, had enough of this farce and decided it personally end this.

"Ooh? Looks like we have the captain of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu team coming out to personally handle this!" announced the announcer, "Let's see what he's capable of!"

Ukita looked at his opponent warily as Aaron took his stance. He could tell this opponent was far stronger than the other two, and he was already hurt. Still, he needed to push his limits as far as he could if he ever wanted to catch up to the others!

As soon as the match began, Ukita warily approached Aaron, who was standing still, waiting for Ukita to make the first move.

'Let's test him out,' thought Ukita as he threw a palm strike at Aaron, who easily deflected it.

Ukita had expected that and threw a left palm strike before his right had been deflected. Aaron caught the left palm strike with both hands, and with a twist of the wrist, had Ukita thrown into the floor. Ukita felt the impact but was conscious enough to tilt his head to the right, dodging a stamp from Aaron that would have knocked him out, if not crush his skull. However, Ukita felt the air driven out of his lungs as Aaron punched him in the stomach. He was sure that if he hadn't trained with the Yamamoto family, he would surely be unconscious with internal organs bleeding.

Seconds later, Aaron had used his punch into Ukita's stomach to grab him and perform an overhead throw, hurling Ukita into the ground before repeating it two more times. Aaron then threw Ukita up in the air before landing a powerful punch right into Ukita's face, sending him back into the ground.

"Ooh, such viciousness," commented the announcer, "Will this be it for the boy?"

'Not if I have anything to say about it,' scowled Aaron as he began to rush towards Ukita. He wanted the boy to suffer before anything else.

Ukita groggily stood up, barely able to hear what was happening. He looked around, seeing Takeda and the others yelling at him to do something, pointing behind him. He couldn't hear what they were saying, as their words weren't registering in his mind. He turned around to see Aaron jumping into the air, ready to finish Ukita off once and for all.

Ukita was barely conscious at this point and wanted to just lay down. As Aaron was almost on top of him, he heard Matsui's faint voice reaching him.

"Quarter Circle Forward PPP!"

As if obeying the command, Ukita's hand shot forward, grabbing Aaron by surprise. Then, in one swift motion, turned and jumped with Aaron still behind him. Ukita flipped in the air before landing with Aaron hitting the ground first, feeling the pain as he hit the floor hard with Ukita's body weight pressed onto him.

Ukita quickly rolled off, his hands raised as if still ready to fight, but his eyes showed he was still groggy.

'What the hell was that!?' thought Aaron as he quickly got up before charging forward once more.

"Hey, Matsui? What the hell was that?" asked Tsuji in curiosity as they watched Ukita suddenly shoulder charge Aaron, stunning him, allowing Ukita to grab him once more, and with surprising strength, lift him up and whirl him around with just moving his arms and waist, not actually turning on his feet.

"Oh, what I said earlier?" asked Matsui as he winced, seeing Aaron slammed into the ground, "That was from a video game!"

"What the hell does that mean!" shouted Kisara.

"Well Ukita wanted to progress further in Judo, but he didn't really have any Judo teachers that were strong. He took Jiu Jitsu, but he mainly wanted to train in Judo. So Niijima came up with the idea to use video game moves to inspire him! When Ukita's opponent jumped in the air, I just shouted out the command input to counter such a move," explained Matsui, shocking the others.

"What, so his teacher is a video game?" questioned Thor.

"That sounds pretty cool," grinned Takeda, "And he said he wasn't a genius. Seems pretty impressive to me if he can use video game moves in a real fight."

Ukita was still in a trance as he landed an overhand punch to the face, followed by a low kick, then followed by a tackle to Aaron's leg before lifting him up and flipping him. As Aaron landed on his back hard, Ukita slammed his hands into the floor. In one of the games, this would have caused the opponent to fly up in the air. However, this was reality, and Ukita forgot about that. But as luck would have it, he had hit the tiled floor with enough strength to create a seesaw with it, sending Aaron up in the air, where Ukita quickly jumped up, coiling around his body before hurling him into the ground once more.

"I've had it!" roared Aaron as he got up, "I will destroy you, and then I will destroy your friends, starting with the one with the stupid hat!"

Kisara hissed in reply, but before anyone could say anything, Ukita woke up and snapped.

Aaron then felt all the air leave him as his body bent forward from a punch to the liver. He weakly looked up to see Ukita without his sunglasses, his eyes swimming in rage.

Ukita was a Dou Ki user, meaning with anger he could push his limits further. Add the fact that Aaron had threatened Kisara, he wasn't going to let Aaron even follow through with that threat.

"DAAAAH!" roared Ukita as he began to rain punches, palm strikes, and kicks at Aaron. On his final blow with a downward fist, Ukita used this momentum to crouch before tackling Aaron, hooking his arm below his groin while the other wrapped around his neck. With a shout, Ukita lifted Aaron into his back and began to spin rapidly until a small dust tornado could be seen forming under his feet.

With a shout, Ukita threw a spinning Aaron up in the air, waiting a bit for gravity to take hold of Aaron before jumping up and kneeing him in the stomach. Gravity soon took hold of both as they fell, but upon landing, Ukita was already spinning in his back with Aaron still in his grasp. The two spun on each other back like a wheel until Ukita threw him clear out of the ring and right into his own booth.

"And the winner of this match with a surprising comeback is the Shinpaku Alliance!" shouted the announcer.

"Ha, beat that!" mumbled Ukita before falling unconscious.

* * *

The others quickly moved Ukita to the bench to let him rest while the last member of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team went up.

"Come on, let me up!" said Tsuji with a grin, "With all the hype Ukita build up, I can make this explode perfectly!"

Niijima pondered a bit before making a decision.

"Alright, next up we'll go with Tsu...," Niijima suddenly paused, as if something had interrupted him before continuing, "I mean, we'll go with Takeda."

The others looked at Niijima in surprise, for they were sure he had been about to say Tsuji. So what changed his mind?

The answer was that the Elder used his Obstructive Lung Voice to tell Niijima who to send and why. The moment Niijima heard his explanation, he mentally nodded in agreement and changed it to Takeda.

"Looks like I'm here to sweep up," grinned Takeda with a shining smile, "Listen, I have some friends to look over, so I'm going to end this fast, alright with you?"

The last member of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu team looked angry at this statement and was already rushing towards Takeda before the bell in rang.

"Guess that's a yes," smiled Takeda, "I'll finish this up with a simple technique."

His opponent suddenly stopped, not because he was wary, but because Takeda's right jab stopped him cold. A left straight followed right after, knocking the guy out. Takeda had used a simple one-two combo to end the match.

"And fighter Takeda may have just set the record for the shortest one on one match!" shouted the announcer, "Looks like Shinpaku Alliance will be proceeding to the next round! We'll be having a 5-minute break for all those who need to use the bathroom."

"Come on, I want to go check on Mizunuma, Kenichi, and Honey," said Takeda as he entered back the booth before lifting Ukita up to his shoulders, "Plus, we should get this guy to a proper bed."

"Agreed," nodded Freya, "But some of us should stay behind to scout."

"I'll stay with my loyal servant Siegfried," said Niijima, "Thor and Tsuji can stay behind with me, along with Matsui."

"Will you be alright alone?" asked Shiratori.

"Feh, with these guys, I don't think I have much to worry," grinned Niijima, pointing at the Elder and Apachai.

"Good point," sweatdropped Kisara before turning away, "I need to stretch anyways."

* * *

As they went their separate ways, Yomi glanced over at them.

"So, what do you think about them?" asked Sho.

"Nothing worth considering," stated Chikage coldly.

"Agreed," nodded Boris.

"Hey, I liked that Ukita kid," said Rachel, "Only problem was he took too much spotlight, but it'll be easy to snag it from him."

Tirawit gave a slight hum before replying, "The ones that fought today were nothing worth noticing. The Judo fight was slightly surprising, but nothing out of range. The other fights, however, may be a different story. There's not enough data to know."

"Ok, then how about _that_ fight?" questioned Sho.

The others knew exactly which fight he meant, and yet nobody could really reply.

"... Strong," admitted Chikage, breaking the silence.

"His use of Muay Boran was surprising," stated Tirawit, "I did not expect him to learn it and yet still be able to hold back on killing with it, considering it is a murderous art."

"There is a considerable distance between us," frowned Boris, "It's no wonder Jihan lost. I would have been eliminated if I had successfully challenged Ryozanpaku's disciple during my dojo challenges."

"Hey, don't get like that!" exclaimed Sho, "My sensei told me that it's not the most powerful or strongest that wins, but rather those who strive to attain victory that wins."

Of course, there was a little doubt in his voice, something none of them chose to comment on. They had just seen how far the gap was, but they didn't despair. They would just have to train to close that gap.

"Well, that's that," shrugged Sho, "I think I'm going to head back to our room and interrogate the hell out of our newest member why he never said anything."

The others looked at the board to see who was next as it had just been posted, to see that it would be the Mongolian Bufu vs. the Builder Five, and promptly left, having lost interest.

The next fight was... interesting to say the least. The Builder 5 had focused mainly on building muscles, with their creed that technique was useless against power. It was a rather naive outlook when in the underground martial arts world. Not only that but if Akisame had to comment about it, he would have said that the Builder Five muscles were weak, composed of mainly red muscles and unable to use to their best potential. It ended with the Mongolian Bufu slaughtering them, but what happened next was what caused many to laugh.

In Mongolian Bufu, it was a custom for the winner to pass through the flank of the loser. However, when they tried to do so, they found it quite hard to force their foot in.

"Hahaha, did you think our muscles was just for show!" said one of the Builders, "With our steel abs and flank, you'll never get through there! And even if you do, we'll flex so hard that it crushes your foot and you'll never get it out again!"

This ended up with two of the Mongolian Bufu having to hop out of the ring with members of the Builder Five stuck on their feet.

Considering the time, Diego decided to call it a day so as to leave the audience rested and give more time for his disciple to capture the audience's attention.

And so the first day of the Desperate Fight Of Disciples ended.

* * *

"Did you know!?" demanded Sho as he barged into the room where the rest of Yomi were resting.

Inside the luxurious room sat Ryuto in his wheelchair and Rimi, who was currently doing her best to persuade Ryuto to let her feed him while wearing a skimpy french maid uniform.

Choju Giga animals hopped across Sho's gaze as he saw this scene.

Sho paused as he saw this before bowing to Ryuto, "Sorry, should've knocked. Didn't know you were busy with your girl."

"It's not what it seems," grunted Ryuto as he pushed Rimi away, "You wanted to ask something?"

Seeing that it was no longer the awkward situation, Sho pushed forward, "Did you know how strong Shirahama Kenichi was!?"

Ryuto gave Sho a questioning and confused glance, "Of course I know. I fought him and lost."

"Not what I was asking!" shot Sho, "Did you know he... that he somehow gives off an aura that most masters have! His... Ki! That's it, his Ki control!"

"Oh, you mean _**Ki no Shouka**_?" replied Ryuto in almost a whimsical tone, "Yea, of course I knew."

"Why didn't you say anything!?" Sho almost shouted at this point. He then caught that troll grin forming on Ryuto's face.

"Don't you da-"

"You didn't ask," smirked Ryuto, interrupting Sho's statement, which ended in a mental scream for the latter.

"Fine, be that way!" growled Sho as he stormed out of the room.

"Will you be alright?" asked Rimi as soon as Sho left, "He won't do anything to you, will he?"

"I'll be fine," said Ryuto as he wheeled himself out of the room, "I feel like heading out for some fresh air."

"Rimi will join you!" shouted Rimi immediately rushing to help push the wheelchair, not caring that she was still wearing her french maid dress. Half of the staff here had similar uniforms, so she wouldn't really be out of place.

Ryuto sighed as he let her push him.

* * *

Night had already fallen on Despair island as Kenichi and Miu slept in a large bed together. As the moonlight shone through the window, a shadow cast over the bed. The figure gently opened the window leading into the room before silently and gently stepping in. The moonlight slowly shifted to reveal Kano Sho, who had decided to come to visit. Getting Ryozanpaku's room number hadn't been difficult, considering they were the ones who invited them and set up the room for them.

Sho's gaze hardened when he saw Kenichi sleeping next to Miu, reigning in that impulse to smash in Kenichi's face in a fit of jealousy. It would be dishonorable to do so and his master would most likely kick his ass, if not kill him, for doing something like that.

Sho's face softened when his gaze changed towards Miu's face. She looked very beautiful and peaceful while she was sleeping.

"If only I could just whisk you away," sighed Sho as he walked towards the bed, near Miu's side, "But I know I shouldn't be too pushy with girls. Even if they are my wings to fly together in the skies."

Sho stood there for a few seconds while gazing at Miu, thinking about stroking her face before deciding not to. He reached into his pocket and took out putting a small syringe with liquid in it as well as a note telling Miu to inject it in her arm. It was the latest cutting edge restoration booster, designed to help boost the body's healing abilities. He hesitated before taking another one out and placing both the syringes and note onto the small table next to the bed.

"You may be stronger, but I'll be the one to protect Miu, Shirahama Kenichi," stated Sho as he glared at Kenichi, "I'll show her that she's to be with me, flying in the night sky together."

Sho turned away, thinking he had done everything perfectly unnoticed when he noticed the Elder standing right to the window, hidden by the shadows, and gulped.

"Ehehehe, hi?" said Sho nervously. The Elder had been in the room the whole time without him noticing.

The Elder merely pointed to the balcony as he stepped out. Sho immediately understood and quickly followed. The Elder gently closed the door before turning to Sho, who was trying to find someway to escape.

"I won't break you," said the Elder, causing Sho let out a sigh of relief, "I noticed you put medicine for the both of them. That was very nice of you to do so, even though you're on opposite sides."

"Yea well, I figured they deserved it," mumbled Sho. He had been tempted to say that he knew Miu would come with him sooner or later, but decided not to comment on that since he really wanted to live.

The Elder nodded at his words while Sho slowly started to slide away, "Well then, have a good night! I should get going!"

"However..," said the Elder, causing Sho to freeze in his steps, "Visiting a girl's room while she's asleep, especially my granddaughter's room, is a huge no no. The only reason Kenichi is even there is that Miu wouldn't let go of his hand."

"What are you going to do?" gulped Sho, terrified now.

"I won't do anything much," said the Elder as he approached Sho, "But you will be punished. Grit your teeth!"

* * *

The Elder sent Sho away after finishing with his punishment before looking up to the night sky. Currently, the rest of Ryozanpaku was assisting Jennifer in planting explosives and other traps all around the island. The Elder had volunteered to stay behind to look after Kenichi and the others in fear that Fortuna would attempt to kidnap them, or that other martial artists would try to strike them while they were still recovering. With the Elder standing guard, nobody would dare attempt such a foolish act.

As the Elder gazed up into the night sky, he felt a familiar Ki approaching once more.

"So, you came," said the Elder without even turning as he already knew just whom it was.

"Are the two alright?" asked Saiga as he landed, "That was a rather terrifying match that I had to witness."

"Both are expected to make a full recovery," replied the Elder, "But it'll take more than a day to get back to 100%."

"I have some medicine," offered Saiga as he pulled out two syringes, "These are the latest restoration boosters, guaranteed to help the body recover faster. I know Akisame and Kensei are using their medicine, but this should be able to help."

"Young Kano Sho has already given us some," said the Elder, causing Saiga to blink in surprise, "Incidentally, he decided to visit while Miu was still asleep."

A brief killing intent filled the air before it was restrained, but it was enough to cause discomfort to Miu and Kenichi, who shifted in their bed.

"Relax, I made sure he didn't do anything," said the Elder, "You'll wake them up."

Saiga took a deep breath to reign in his temper, but not before making a mental note to have Hongo punish Sho for that behavior.

"She's grown so much," whispered Saiga softly as he tenderly gazed at Miu, "There's so much I want to do with her, but at this rate, she'll have left the nest to make a new one without needing me at all."

"There's still time, you know," offered the Elder.

Saiga shook his head, "No. Not now. And I don't think I can ever do so, not with the blood on my hands. I know you and the others intend to use this tournament to take down all the bigshot criminals in one fell swoop. I was only here to watch over Miu. Her touching the realm of _**Ki no Shouka**_ was a huge surprise, though. But now, others will be gunning for her now, whether as an apprentice or a target."

Saiga's gaze went to Kenichi before softly smiling, "But I suppose the one she's chosen is someone I can trust to watch over her."

The Elder gently nodded, the two watching over them before Saiga left.

* * *

Both Miu and Kenichi woke up around midnight, stretching a little before all the pain came back to them in with a vengeance, causing them to both wince. It was through the pain did they realize the position they were in.

Miu was lying on top of Kenichi's torso, her large breasts pressing down on Kenichi's torso. The only thing saving their dignity was the fact that both of them had their upper torso wrapped in bandages, saving Kenichi from getting an eyeful of Miu. Of course, it did nothing to stop Kenichi's imagination. Those bandages didn't stop Kenichi from being able to feel those soft but perky breasts on his torso. Also, Miu's leg was also on his waist, who had noticed something was starting to move... or rather harden.

"I'm sorry!" blushed Kenichi as he managed to somehow teleport out of the bed, thankfully wearing boxers still, before grabbing some clothes and shutting the door.

Miu was left alone on the bed blushing crimson before wondering how they even ended up in such a position.

The reason?

Saiga's momentary blood lust had caused Miu, who had just been sleeping beside Kenichi, to unconsciously shift closer to Kenichi for safety. Kenichi reacted by wrapping his arms around Miu and pulling her closer until she was laying on his torso.

The sight of that almost made the Elder lose control, only for Saiga to somehow convince his father not to do anything rash, that they were still seriously injured.

As Miu laid sprawled on the bed, her mind couldn't help but wonder about the situation. About how rock hard his abs were, how broad and warm his chest was, and finally, wondering how big his manhoo...

"Kyaaa!" cried out Miu in embarrassment as she shoved her head into her pillow, "I'm not a pervert! I blame Kensei!"

Truth be told, it was purely her. She was going through puberty, again, and this time she had a steady boyfriend. The last timeline, she hadn't been all that interested in boys despite her dreams of being a bride. Her adventures during her childhood in the previous timeline had given her a slightly stunted view of the other gender, seeing as the Elder didn't exactly have the time to give her the Talk. Rather, he summarized what he knew as quickly as possible before pushing the uncomfortable subject away as far as possible. This timeline, she also had a more in-depth explanation of the Talk thanks to Kenichi's mother, Saori.

But it wasn't something she was ever going to admit herself.

As she tried to calm herself down, her mind wandered once more, raising her legs to her chest. Speaking of her leg... she gently traced them until she circled around the area where she felt his...

"#O$ # #% Q#!" shouted Miu into her pillow.

* * *

Kenichi was outside fully dressed, using the cold night air to cool himself down. He could still feel that warmth on his torso, those cherry tipped nipples poking at him... Kenichi smashed his head into a tree to purge himself of such thoughts. It didn't help that he had seen her fully naked already when they had been sucked into the wormhole created by Niijima.

"Yo, what that tree do to you?" asked a voice.

Kenichi turned around to see Shinobi of the Capoeira team walking towards him in curiosity at the noise.

"Ah! You're that Kenichi kid!" exclaimed Shinobi, "The one with that monstrous Ki control who actually defeated that master with your girl!"

Kenichi blinked before he slowly nodded, wondering where this would go.

"Ah, my name's Silvio, or Shinobi if you want," said Shinobi, introducing himself, "Hey, mind if I ask you something?"

Kenichi tilted his head in confusion at this. He had never talked to Shinobi before, though he did pity him for chasing after a girl who seemed to ignore all his advances in favor of a chance with their leader.

Shinobi looked around to see if anyone was listening in before whispering, "Give a guy some advice. How'd you get your girl to be with you like that?"

"Huh?" replied Kenichi dumbly.

"C'mon, don't be like that! I saw you two dancing during the banquet before the whole thing. Give me some advice man, I've been trying to catch Aishe's eye for ages! It's only recently she started to look at me a little different, but all her attention is still on that jerk of a captain, with his stupid looks and piss cold attitude!" begged Shinobi.

Kenichi could only giggle at this before calming down.

"You know, I wasn't always this strong," said Kenichi as he calmed down.

"Eh?" blinked Shinobi in confusion, "What do you-"

Kenichi continued, interrupting Shinobi as he spoke, "I was a scared and weak kid, unable to do anything. I didn't have any friends until one day, I saw a cute but lonely girl, who asked me to be her friend. I said yes, of course. Then one day, I saw gangsters picking on the weak. I myself had been ready to turn away in fear when I saw her standing up to them with no fear. That motivated me to help out, even if I was weak. I was beaten up, of course, but not before she showed me that she was strong. She easily defeated the gangsters with ease, her movements like a feather cutting through the wind."

Kenichi reminisced about the first time he had met Miu and the crazy dive into the martial arts world after before continuing on, "I soon became involved in learning martial arts because of her. I wanted to gain power so I could uphold my justice, protecting the weak and punishing those who would cause harm. But within that, there was a promise that I made to her. That I would become strong enough to protect her from others, even though she was stronger than me. I never told her, but she knew and accepted my feelings."

Kenichi turned to Shinobi, who had been listening to him with intense concentration, "So just work hard. Show her that you'll become strong to protect her, just like you did in your match against the Black Force today. I know she'll notice you more and more if you focus on becoming stronger."

"That...," said Shinobi slowly, his eyes shadowed before raising them just for Kenichi to see tears streaming down them, "Was so beautiful!"

Shinobi grasped Kenichi's hand in eager, "So that's you got your girl! Then that's how I'll do it! I admit, the damn bastard is stronger than me, but I'll show him! I'll get stronger and stronger so I can protect Aisha and show her my feelings! Just watch me!"

Shinobi dashed away, eager to train up some more.

"Oh, and you should consider writing a story about that!" shouted Shinobi, "It'll make a great seller! I'd definitely buy it!"

Kenichi could only blush as it was his dream to be a writer and winning the Naoki Award. Shaking out of his embarrassment, he decided to check on the rest of the Shinpaku Alliance. However, he only took a few steps before he was stopped by a platoon of guards.

"Master Fortuna wishes to see you," stated the captain of the guard, "He wishes to make you a generous offer of becoming one of his sons, if not the primary son. He has decided that you will inherit his wealth and power upon accepting his offer. Anything you wish shall be yours."

"No deal," snarled Kenichi.

He was about to walk away when all the soldiers pointed their spears at him now.

"Master Fortuna does not accept rejections," recited the captain, "You would do well to accept his offer or else. Now come with us."

The soldiers began to jab their spears in a threatening manner as if to compel Kenichi to follow orders. Kenichi slowly raised his hands in surrender in response.

"Hehe, should've done that in the first place," sneered the captain, "C'mon, follow me."

As he turned, he made a small comment about breaking in the boy before taking Miu for himself. That was a huge mistake on his part. Kenichi had never planned to obey, but strike out when the opportunity arrived. The captain made a comment about Miu just made him a primary target while turning his back.

Kenichi lashed out a kick to the captain's head instantly knocking him out. The other guards reacted, trying to stab Kenichi at non-vital areas. Kenichi would have easily dodged them all, but the injuries he had taken earlier caused him to wince as he tried to dodge. One spear managed to clip his stomach while another pierced through his left forearm, though luckily not severing anything serious.

Kenichi winced in pain before grabbing the offending spear, lifting his attacker up into the air before slamming him into another. He cursed himself for not taking the arm guards with him as he snapped the spear by the base. Taking out the spearhead would only cause him to lose more blood.

"Aim for his left side!" advised another guard, this one being a female. Kenichi defended against her stabs, merely dodging them before blocking a slash from another attacker.

It didn't take long for the guards to realize that Kenichi wouldn't attack a girl and sent the other female guard that was with them to attack Kenichi.

"Call in the head captain!" shouted another soldier, "With her help, we can apprehend this kid for Master Fortuna!"

Kenichi growled before chucking the stick he had been using to defend at one of the fleeing guards, knocking him out. However, he didn't get the chance to take out the other one that was running away.

 _ **Gungnir**_

The second guard was slammed by a barrage of palm thrusts, instantly knocking him out.

"Who's there!" shouted one of the girls attacking Kenichi.

The answer she got was a solid golden kick to the head by Rimi, knocking her out.

"Fuck this, I'm out of here!" exclaimed another guard as he ran.

"Hey, don't leave me alone!" shouted the other female attacking Kenichi.

The moment she turned her back towards Kenichi, she knew she made a huge mistake. Before she could turn back to Kenichi, he made his move. He used a forbidden technique that he would never allow Miu to know that he knew. It was an attack so mortifying that Kenichi did his best to hide it from her. And if she discovered it... he would completely blame it on Ma Kensei.

 _ **Bake Baku-Satsui... otherwise known as Ma-style Restriction Technique**_

Kenichi managed to strip the woman of her clothes and armor before using the clothes to tie the woman's hands and feet, binding them into awkward position so she couldn't easily escape. It hadn't been easy with one hand injured, but Kenichi managed to do it.

"A rather... interesting technique," noted Ryuto as he pushed his glassed up before wheeling himself close to Kenichi.

"Don't you dare tell anyone about this technique," threatened Kenichi as he got a closer look at Ryuto. He was pleased to see Ryuto looking quite healthy compared to the last timeline after using _**Seido Goitsu**_ for the first time. Ryuto still retained his purple hair, though there were small streaks of gray in it. Both of the scleras of his eyes were still normal, too.

"I won't," chuckled Ryuto as he raised his hands up in humor, "I saw your match against the Muay Thai fighter. Looks like I have quite a ways to go to catch up to you. But I will catch up, make no mistake."

Ryuto motioned for Rimi to dig through the other guard's unconscious body to dig up for some medical supplies. Rimi quickly obeyed and managed to find some bandage wrappings for Kenichi to use. With a grunt, Kenichi pulled out the spearhead from his forearm before quickly wrapping his injury with the bandage, making sure it was tight and secure.

"Urg, I'm not going to be using this arm for a bit," groaned Kenichi as he gingerly moved his left arm.

"You best get back to the hotel with the others," advised Ryuto, "I didn't think the owner of this island would be that desperate to take you."

"Nor did I," grumbled Kenichi, "Thanks for the help. Do you want to-"

Ryuto held up his hand, "It would be best if I wasn't seen with your company. No doubt Freya and the others would not react well to seeing me. It was mere luck that Rimi and I stumbled upon you during my walk tonight."

"Yea, you owe Ryuto-sama one now!" exclaimed Rimi.

Then they heard some noises, which suspiciously sounded like guards coming towards them on a patrol route. With no hesitation, they quickly split off before they could be seen. Before Kenichi left, though, Ryuto threw a small letter at him, to which he easily caught. After quickly making his way back to his room, he opened the letter to see what was written on it.

 _You're a fool to help me... but thanks anyways. I owe you one- Ryuto_

Kenichi smiled as he entered the room, just in time for Miu to see Kenichi's new injuries before she started fretting over him.

* * *

While Kenichi had met with Ryuto, Niijima had made his way through the hotel with Siegfried behind him before coming up to a door. With a grin, he knocked on the door and waited.

"Can I help you?" asked Iris as she opened the door to see who it was.

"The better question is how I can help you and your team, sons and daughters of Fortunam" replied Niijima, "Or rather, how I can help you break those chains he puts on you."

"... Let him in," said Spartacus, who had been listening from the couch.

Iris opened the door to allow them in before quickly peeking out to make sure nobody was looking before closing the door. It would be an hour later before Niijima came back out with Siegfried.

* * *

Ryuto relaxed as Rimi pushed his wheelchair back to where Yomi was residing. As they neared the door, Boris and the others also came back from wherever they had gone, along with Sho's fellow disciple brothers/bodyguards, Hayami and Seto.

While Rachel made the effort to say hello with Rimi replying, the others just gave a non-committal grunt before entering their room to see Sho sitting on the balcony with the lights turned off, his body slanted so they could only see the left side of his body and face.

"Yo, welcome back," greeted Sho.

"Leader," greeted Boris with a salute.

"Why are you sitting like that?" asked Tirawit.

"Hmm?"

"You seem to be trying rather hard to hide something with your stance," clarified Tirawit, his eyes narrowed.

"Nooo I just feel like sitting this way," replied Sho, never turning his head to reply, "It made me look cool, right?"

"A bit," agreed Rachel as she turned on the lights, "But now I'm just plain curious."

"There's no need for that now," said Sho, not starting to sweat a bit, "There's absolutely nothing wrong here!"

Rachel and the others didn't believe that for a second as they began to get closer and closer to Sho. Sho did his best to keep the right side of his face away from them, turning his neck and body to it from them. Sadly, there was no way to hide it from them forever. Slowly, he turned his head towards them.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Rachel as she fell to the ground, clutching her bare stomach.

"Leader, do you require first aid?" asked Boris in a serious tone, though the corners of his mouth were curling up.

Tirawit chuckled while Chikage looked bored and opted to sit on the couch. The only ones not laughing were Hayami and Seto, who quickly rushed to get an ice pack.

The reason for such a reaction was that Sho had a rather large hand print on the right side of his face, along with a rather spectacular bruised cheek. It took Sho awhile to convince Hayami and Seto not to go on a mission to punish the person who caused such a bruise. He wasn't cruel enough to assign a suicide mission with a 100% chance of failure, even if he did find them annoying.

* * *

Soon, the next day had arrived. Kenichi had been forcefully fed Kensei's 'miracle' medicine and had been knocked unconscious due to its potency. Thanks to the medicine, his body being so carefully structured by Kensei and Akisame, and using Sho's medicine, Kenichi was able to get up to walk to the Coliseum, though not without a bit of trouble. Ukita and Mizunuma were confined to bed rest.

"Hahaha! Can you hear all these cheers!?" laughed Diego Carlo as he spoke into the mic to address the audience, "Like the gladiators of Ancient Rome that fought in the Coliseum, these youngsters will be doing the same today! The second day of the D of D starts now!"

"You sure you can walk?" asked Takeda in concern towards Kenichi.

The whole Shinpaku Alliance had been in an uproar when they heard about the ambush. Thor wanted to lodge a complaint before he remembered that one of the primary sponsors, if not the only, sponsor of this competition had been the one who wanted to kidnap Kenichi. The masters had rather been in sync with Shinpaku Alliance. Sakaki wanted to blow the whole operation so he could pulverize Fortuna's face for attempting such a thing. In the end, both Shigure and Jennifer managed to calm him down, though the latter glared at the former's tactic, which involved hugging Sakaki.

Nonetheless, they all made sure Kenichi was with one of the masters the whole time.

"Ba, I've had worse!" scoffed Sakaki, "I got shot by my enemies, and even though the doctors said I should rest, I still went ahead to compete in a karate tournament within the next hour and got gold!"

The others gave him a deadpan glare while Tsuji crowed about how manly that was.

"I'll be fine," winced Kenichi as he took a deep breath, "I just need a little more rest, then I'll be good to go."

"Bu-" started Freya, but couldn't finish as the announcer began to speak once more.

Nobody in the Shinpaku Alliance noticed the Elder leaving while whispering to himself, "It's morphin' time."

"Today's first match will be a team from far away! Give it away for the team that came all the way from New York, the New York Street Fighters! Their the baddest of the bad, the meanest of the mean in the streets of New York! They hold the title of the strongest gang there! And facing them is the tournament organizer's favorite team, the siblings of Castor and Pollux! Teammmm Gemini!"

As soon as the announcer announced the Gemini team, Mariachi music could be heard, followed by Mariachi musicians and dancers as they formed a path to the center arena. Rachel and Ethan both began to walk towards the center, Rachel flaunting her body with every step and sway while Ethan calmly shook the maracas in tempo with the music. Sho and the others were at the booth, observing the show. Sho's swelling had pretty much disappeared overnight, though it didn't save him from humiliation.

A pro wrestling ring suddenly appeared in the arena from underground, showing just how much Diego was spoiling his little disciple.

"Feh, Lucha Libre!?" scoffed one of the New York Street Fighters, "Everyone knows wrestling is fake. It's all just a sham! I bet that Diego guy pays his opponents to act like it hurts."

There was a violent discord of sound as all the musicians stumbled upon hearing that statement. The dancers tripped and almost fell as well. Each one of them nervously looked up to Diego, who seemed to still be smiling.

Diego merely kept his smile before calling out to his cute disciple, "Castor... Do it."

Diego had also put his finger on his throat, sliding it across before putting a thumbs down.

"Si, Maestro," grinned Rachel as she quickly threw away her sombrero and scarf, jumping into the ring eagerly.

"Hehe, I got this," said one of the fighters as he cockily grinned while entering the ring, "Hey there hot stuff. Wanna take this fight away from the ring and to a bed? I can show you some of my wrestling moves in bed while you take those sexy legs of your and wrap them around me."

"Mmm, you mean like this?" smirked Rachel before suddenly jumping up, catching the fighter's head between her thighs.

The male fighter would've have replied with a yes if it wasn't for the fact those soft but muscular thighs were currently crushing his head. With a quick twist of her waist, Rachel slammed the fighter into the ground. She then proceeded to beat the crap out of the fighter.

"Hey, we need to help him!" shouted another New York Street Fighter, "Get that bitch off him!"

"Everyone, go!" shouted the leader of the group as they all charged in.

Ethan had been ready to intervene when he saw Rachel putting her hand up to stop him. Ethan sighed and sat back down, watching but trusting his sister to be alright. Rachel's original plan had been to defeat four, make it look like she was losing against her fifth, only for her brother to come in to save the day. It would have roused the crowd for sure! However, that plan was thrown out as soon as their opponent opened their big mouth.

It didn't take long for her to knock out her opponents. She pile drove on into the floor, suplexed another, gave a huge wedgie on one before tossing him into the ropes to bounce back into her lariat, and body slammed another.

"So, you like the feel of these babies on you?" asked Rachel as she pressed her large breasts into the fighter she had just body slammed into.

The fighter could only squeak in pain as the additional weight and pressure just made his ribs hurt even more.

"Winner by K.O. Team Gemini!" shouted the announcer as Diego rung the bell to end the match.

Rachel basked in the praises before looking around seeing if there was more material to rouse the crowd. Her eyes landed on Kenichi for a moment before grinning with mirth.

"Maestro, lend me your mike!" shouted Rachel with vivid eagerness.

Diego threw his mike at Rachel, eager to see what she was going to do.

"Long time no see... Shirahama Kenichi from Ryozanpaku!" declared Rachel in a dramatic voice as she pointed at Kenichi.

Or rather where he was... as there laid a faint outline to signify he had been there. The moment Kenichi saw Rachel grinning at him, he booked the hell out of there, ignoring his injuries while Miu followed. There was no way he was getting caught in that verbal trap again.

Silence reigned as there was no reply, causing Rachel's face to start growing red, whether from anger or embarrassment. Rachel had planned to spin a tale about their history together, using her the name of her parents in vain. Though truth be told, both she and Ethan hated their blood father as he was an abusive alcoholic, and their mother had never been around. Which was why she had no problems using her parents, or rather the people who birthed her and her brother as she never considered them mother or father, in vain.

Still, the crowd was still cheering for Rachel, so that was still a positive for her. As she walked back to her booth, she scolded her brother for not warning her that Kenichi had booked it.

"And we'll go to the next and final battle of the first round! A team just as favored as Team Gemini! Please welcome... the Pankration team! They are the fighters chosen and raised by Fortuna himself! Fighting them is a karate team from the Dillman Dojo."

"We are the best karate users in the world!" declared the captain of the karate team, "Karate users like Sakaki Shio and Akira Hongo are mere pebbles compared to us! All they use are tricks and bribery!"

"Haaah?" growled Sakaki, eager to jump in to punch the brats now.

"Who you calling a fake!" shouted Sho in anger, "Sensei could kick all your ass with just a pinky finger!"

He had to be restrained by Boris while Tirawit and Ethan restrained Hayami and Seto.

It was a five on five match, but when the match started, Spartacus and the others huddled up in the middle while the others surrounded them. None of the karate members were sure what to do until...

"Ha, leave this to me," bragged the captain as he approached Spartacus, "I can take him out with just one tap."

The captain tapped Spartacus on his fist while yelling out some mumbo jumbo before declaring that Spartacus had been knocked unconscious while standing. Those were his famous last words as Spartacus slammed him into the floor before wailing on him. The others tried to help, but soon found themselves completely outmatched in a brutal fashion, as their 'famous knock out tap' failed them. They didn't understand as they had seen their master do it on other people and tell them that they could do it too.

"Those brats have no real understanding of Ki," giggled Diego.

"Such a waste," agreed Fortuna, "However, it allows my children's' skills to be broadcasted at least."

The match was soon called, naming Pankration team as the winner. As Spartacus and the others began to leave the arena, he glanced at Niijima once more, who merely nodded. They went back to their room to rest up before preparing on what was to come.

* * *

 **And done with this chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **You guys can probably guess the judo moves I used for Ukita. It was a perfect window that I couldn't miss!**

 **As for the future fights... hehehe I'll leave you all guessing who's going to go against whom. It's gonna be fun!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!**

 **This story has been beta by TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve! Also a little shorter than usual, but there's a reason for it!**

 **Also, small heads up, during fight scene Natsu will be called Hermit since it is what he prefers to be called when fighting.**

* * *

"Exciting isn't it!?" yelled out the announcer as the ring began to shift once more.

"What'd we miss?" asked Kenichi as he returned to his seat with Miu helping him.

"Just watched the Pankration team brutally beat the shit out of the karate team," replied Tsuji, "My kind of fight!"

"And now, we shall proceed to the second round, the quarter-finals!" announced the announcer, "First up will be... Ryozanpaku vs. the Three Headed Dragon! On one hand, we have the three biggest Chinese Martial Arts. However, on the other, we have the team that managed to defeat a master, if it was just barely scraping by! Such an exciting match up that's sure to come!"

"I'm going up this time!" declared Renka as she leaped out the booth, "You guys can't stop me this time."

"Fine, fine, we won't," chuckled Kenichi as he stood up, wincing slightly as he did so. His new injuries were aggravating his body a bit, but it wasn't something he couldn't shrug off.

However, as he was about to leave the booth, spears crossed in front of him, denying him entrance. Kenichi looked at the guards that had been standing there since the start of the second day.

"You are forbidden from participating until further notice, pending investigation," stated the guard, "We have reason to suspect that you are not the age you state you are. You and the girl who fought in the first round."

"What!?" shouted all of the Shinpaku Alliance members.

"You can't do this!" shouted Takeda.

"Just because Fortuna is the sponsor of this tournament doesn't mean he can do anything he wants," growled Freya.

"Yea, I wanna have a chance to fight against Kenichi again!" shouted Tsuji.

There was more shouting until the soldier smashed the butt of his spear into the ground, gaining their attention.

"Master Fortuna has spoken. However, he is willing to allow Fuurinji Miu the benefit of the doubt only if Shirahama Kenichi comes with us. We will escort him to a private room for further interrogation. We will escort him back safely when done."

"No deal," hissed Miu, hugging Kenichi as she did so. She knew, as well as everyone else, that this was just another ploy from Fortuna to sink his hands on Kenichi.

"Then I guess your friend will have to fight by herself," chuckled the guard with a burst of malicious laughter, "That Chinese team sure looked bloodthirsty. Especially that leader of theirs. He looks like he wants to kill anyone from the Ma family."

Kenichi growled and was ready to give himself up when Renka chimed in.

"Bah, I can take care of them all by myself! You just sit there and relax. I'll be back before you know it!"

Renka strode forward to the ring with confidence in every step, ignoring Miu and Kenichi's words to come back. That they were willing to just forfeit. For Renka, this was more of a battle for her pride in being part of the Phoenix Alliance. Her opponents were the representatives of the Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance, the nemesis of the Phoenix Alliance! She grinned as she saw her opponents glaring at her, especially Kaku. He seemed to be especially thirsty for her blood.

* * *

"Hmm? Ryozanpaku is only sending one girl out?" mused Diego as he had the stage set up for a Chinese theme, "That doesn't seem right."

"Being the sole sponsor of this tournament, I felt the need to investigate Shirihama Kenichi and Miu Fuuriniji under the suspicion of lying about their age. Their currently level doesn't match for anyone of their age. Therefore, their participation in this tournament is currently temporarily suspended. If they lose... well it's just unfortunate," said Fortuna.

Diego frowned at this statement. He promised his audience DIEGO QUALITY entertainment! Sure, the two disciples of Ryozanpaku were stronger than anyone within their age, but it wasn't a reason to disqualify them. Following that logic, then the mysterious Garyu X would also have to be disqualified, as he wasn't fooling anyone with that mask. However, Garyu X had been giving DIEGO QUALITY entertainment, so Diego hadn't planned on doing anything unless he actually won the tournament. He knew that the Elder had entered so as to deal with the hidden master that entered the tournament. What the Elder would do in the next fight would also be entertaining, considering whom he was fighting.

Diego, however, did not voice his complaint. Though he would do anything for entertainment, there was one thing that surpassed his passion to entertain. It was just barely, but it was the safety of his precious disciple, Rachel. He was well aware that his disciple would have to fight Ryozanpaku eventually, but the current level told him that she was not a match.

Kenichi and Miu had managed to successfully defeat a Master class fighter without taking any crippling injury, something he knew would take perhaps three of Yomi to do so safely. Not only that, but the two did so while following Katsujinken.

Gorobe may have been a low trash master class, somewhere on the same level as Fortuna, but a master none the less. The fact that the two were also capable of **_Ki no Shouka_** was also a cause for concern. Based on this, he suspected that Kenichi and Miu were firmly in the Expert Class now, and suspected they wouldn't stay in the class for long.

The transition from Expert class to Master class was one of the hardest hurdles to overcome, which was why so many stayed in such a class for such a long time. It was mainly because of Ki control. Anyone could throw a punch, anyone could bulk up in strength, and techniques could be taught. However, Ki control was the hardest one of them all, and it wasn't something that people could easily pass through. Complete mastery of _**Ki no Kaiho**_ and touching the realms of _**Ki no Shaoku**_ were two completely different things. They were just on different levels.

Miu had already touched it, meaning that her transition through Expert class could be considered quicker than most. Kenichi, however, was already displaying unnerving control over it. It wouldn't be long for Kenichi to soon dive into the realms of Grand Masters, possibly after he finished high school. Diego could see Kenichi even reaching the status of Legendary Master, something not even he was close to. Frankly, Diego admitted he could learn a thing or two from Kenichi about Ki control.

Diego could also see Fortuna's greedy eyes on Kenichi, his gluttonous appetite to collect strong children and turning them into masters very apparent. Diego was also aware of his attempted ambush last night but chose not to comment on that for now. But after this tournament was over, he would be having some choice words with him about such attempts. It wasn't DIEGO QUALITY to do such a thing.

In short, he slightly feared for his cute little disciple's safety and pride and chose to let Fortuna have his way for now. Plus, having the daughter of the Phoenix Alliance fighting against the Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance, two arch-nemesis, was also entertaining.

* * *

"So, he chose not to come out," sneered Kaku as he saw Renka to the ring alone, "He was right to fear us."

"You know, it would look more convincing if you hadn't breathed a sigh of relief when you saw Kenichi not coming," teased Renka, "Those shaking legs of yours told me a whole different story."

Kaku bit back a reply, as he couldn't deny such a claim. Yo and Chou had been in the same boat.

"Finally, we will have our vengeance today," growled Kaku, choosing to veer the conversation towards a different topic, "Our long term hatred will finally be satisfied."

"Hmph, in your dreams," snarked Renka as the stage finally came up to reveal an old Chinese style peasant's home.

"This battle will be a battle royal!" declared Diego, "Meaning, unfortunately for Ryozanpaku, it'll be a 1v3 match!"

"Hmph, I can take them all on," declared Renka, though a little less confident now.

The fighters all stepped into the ring, ready to fight.

"Tai Chi Clan Kaku Shin Ten!"

"Bagua Clan Chou Yin Lin!"

"Shin Yi Clan Yo Tekai!"

The three introduced themselves and their styles while charging towards Renka, who had gotten into a fighting position.

"Ma Renka, daughter of the Phoenix Alliance!"

"Annndd Fi-" _**Boom**_

Just as Diego had been to declare the match to start, a sudden object crashed right into the middle of Renka and the Three Headed Dragon, creating a dust cloud.

The fighters were wary of what had crashed into the arena and stood back in caution. They could hear someone coughing and hacking in the dust cloud.

"...-upid shitty master of mine!" muttered the figure in the dust cloud.

It was a very familiar voice that Renka, Kenichi, Sho, and the others recognized. As the dust settled, the audience found themselves looking at the missing Natsu Tanimoto in his Hermit gear.

* * *

 _Few minutes prior_

Ma Sogetsu and Hermit were once more watching the fights, hidden in the shadows of the exit booth once more. Sogetsu was bored as he watched Rachel destroy her opponents as well and the Pankration team annihilating theirs. As he took a sip of baijiu, he heard Ryozanpaku's team heading up and perked up once more. At least the next fight would be amusing for him. They would be fighting the Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance, an organization that had been his enemy in the past when he was still a part of the Phoenix Alliance. Of course, he didn't really care about both organizations when he left China. The Phoenix Alliance had a laissez faire policy regarding him. As long as he didn't do anything to them, they would just ignore him in return. He suspected the reason for such a lenient policy was due to the fact he was Kensei's older brother, and that he was smart enough not to waste manpower on him.

The Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance, however, had a more antagonistic policy against him. When he left the Phoenix Alliance, they tried to recruit him, only to get a solid no. That lead to an angry reaction by which they tried to kill him with the messengers they sent. Sogetsu easily dealt with them and went on his way. The Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance chose not to pursue him, but put an order to kill him by any means necessary if they met him.

Frankly, it annoyed him a lot whenever he tried to come back to China to get a refill of his favorite alcohol. And also, not that he would admit, the reason he had ditched Natsu in the middle of training wasn't only because of Sho, but rather he had gotten information that the organization had been closing on his trail. He didn't want to bring his grievances on his brat disciple, and he certainly did not want Kaede to be caught in the crossfire.

And so when he saw Renka as the only participant, he frowned. He peeked over at the booth to see the guards blocking Kenichi's path and saying something. Sogetsu figured either the Black Tiger White Dragon brats bribed the guards to give some shitty excuse or that Fortuna had pulled some strings. He knew Diego well enough he wouldn't do such a thing.

"What are they doing? Why are they letting the exhibitionist fight alone?"

Sogetsu looked at his disciple to see him biting his thumb in annoyance, hearing his words and piquing his interest.

"Exhibitionist?" asked Sogetsu.

"Nothing you need to know," Natsu quickly snapped.

That was something he was going to get the bottom of. Of course, he would just ask Kaede for the details. But from his words alone, Sogetsu knew that Natsu had some sort of relationship with Renka.

"You worried about her?"

Natsu shrugged, "She'll be fine. Whether she lives or dies doesn't matter to me."

That statement was a lie. Sogetsu could tell by the way he slightly tensed up. Kaede had been... informative enough to tell him how to tell when Natsu was lying. It was how she was so damn good in Mah Jong. Just from her opponent's facial, body, or any type of expression, she could tell whether or not they were close to a winning tile. Then with her freakish mind, she could calculate just what her opponent needed and cruelly deny them that winning tile. Sogetsu had half a mind to take Kaede as a disciple, knowing that with her mind, she would be a talented martial artist.

Sogetsu pondered about it a little more before a malicious smirk formed on his face.

"You know, I just thought of an excellent idea for training," said Sogetsu as he slowly inched over to Natsu, who hadn't noticed his movements, "You need to fight some more brats around your age and skill level."

"And where will we get that?" shot back Natsu, still staring at Renka, "After the tournament? I'm sure as hell not sparring with the Shinpaku idiots."

"We have the perfect candidates right in that ring," smiled Sogetsu as he suddenly lifted Natsu by his cloak, "Those three will be good fodder for you. Not to mention, we'd be getting one over the Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance. Those idiots annoy me too much. I may have left the Phoenix Alliance, but I prefer them over the other. This is a perfect chance to get two birds with one stone. So... go get them!"

With that, Sogetsu hurled Natsu towards the ring while his other hand took out something from his pocket and chucked it over to Diego.

* * *

"...-upid shitty master of mine!" muttered Natsu as he picked himself up from the ground. He would plot sweet revenge on his master for this trick. Perhaps sick his sister on him. He could never resist her.

"Ah, pervert! Where have you been?" shouted Renka.

"Who you calling pervert, exhibitionist!" shouted Natsu towards Renka.

The two butted heads in anger, glaring at each other while the audience was looking in confusion.

"Yo, what's going on?" asked Kaku in slight anger.

"It looks like Ryozanpaku has another participant that never showed up to the first day. That can't be allowed," said Fortuna from his chair, frowning, "We should disqualify them. Diego?"

Diego hadn't responded, his hand clutching an object as he looked at it. His eyebrows were raised when he recognized the object. It was the Moon emblem of Yami, though it was quite scuffed, dirty, and smelled like someone poured alcohol over it by accident. But none the less, it was still a Yami emblem, one that should have belonged to the current owner, Jisei Ro. But Jisei Ro was really just a fill in for the real owner, Ma Sogetsu. Meaning Ma Sogetsu was here, that the boy who had just entered into the arena (with a fantastic entrance, he might add) was his disciple, and he was telling Diego that his disciple would be joining the fight. But on who's side, was the question.

Diego thought about it before concluding that it was probably with Ryozanpaku. He knew Sogetsu's history with the Black Tiger White Dragon alliance, and was probably using this opportunity to both train his disciple and beat up the organization's chosen fighter.

This... was something he could spin off and make it work! Diego grinned as he made his decision.

"Ah, from a source of mine and a favor, this new fighter as Ryozanpaku's fourth fighter!" announced Diego, "Except just for this fight, we'll be renaming it as Phoenix Wings vs. Three Headed Dragon. The boy that entered now is a direct disciple of someone who used to be a part of the Phoenix Alliance!"

The audience erupted into a cheer at this statement. There was nobody in the underworld that hadn't heard of either Chinese Alliance, and the fact the two were butting heads now in this tournament added fuel to the fire.

"Captain Hermit!" cried Matsui, "You came back to help!"

"Like hell I did!" retorted Natsu as he turned his head while still butting heads with Renka, "I was tossed in here without a choice!"

Rachel, at Yomi's booth, was crushing the booth in a fit of anger that Natsu was attracting even more attention now. She had to admit, her master knew how to spin the crowd, but the fact that it wasn't her made her angry.

"Huh, didn't think Hermit was coming in," chuckled Sho.

"Does that mean he has officially allied himself with Ryozanpaku?" questioned Boris.

"Eh, doubt it," shrugged Sho, "Like he said, he was tossed in there. I bet Ma Sogetsu thought it would be good fun to do so."

"I am more curious on why Shirahama Kenichi didn't come out to fight," commented Tirawit, "As far as I observed, his injuries did not seem that dangerous."

"He was being detained from entering," replied Ethan, who had been paying attention to Shinpaku's booth the whole time, "For some reason, the guards wouldn't let him enter the ring."

"It probably has to do with yesterday," said Ryuto, who had just entered in the booth, being wheeled in by Rimi, "Fortuna tried to capture Kenichi yesterday. The fact it failed probably made him angry to make up an excuse to refrain him from fighting."

"What!? And Maestro allowed this?" whirled Rachel, appalled that Fortuna would get in the way of DIEGO QUALITY entertainment!

"I don't think he knew until now," replied Ryuto dryly, "None the less, he seems to have managed to spin this off in a different direction."

* * *

"Diego! You can't just do that! I've allowed you a free hand over the tournament, but this pushes it too far!" complained Fortuna.

Before he could complain further, a mic smashed right next to his head. Fortuna slowly looked from the crushed mic and wall back to Diego, who wasn't smiling.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing down there," breathed Diego, "Stopping Ryozanpaku's other fighters to come in? That's interfering with entertainment, and I hate when anybody does that! You're lucky I can spin this around. Do something like this again, and I'll show you my other self."

Fortuna could only slowly nod as he settled back down.

"Ahem, now we have that out of the way, let's stop delaying and fight!" shouted Diego, reminding them the match was still happening.

"I don't care who you are, but the moment you decided to side with the Ma family is the moment you signed your death warrant!" shouted Kaku as the Three Headed Dragon team charged forward.

Renka and Hermit broke off their argument, for now, getting ready to face their opponents. They soon found themselves being circled around rapidly by Yinlin, who was using mudwading step.

"Pervert, be careful," replied Renka as she prepared herself.

"Careful yourself idiot," snapped back Natsu, "And call me Hermit!"

Hermit tried to break out of the circle, only to block a high angle kick from Yinlin and was pushed back.

"Hoo, you're not too shabby," commented Yinlin.

Hermit merely huffed as he noticed Yo and Kaku getting ready to charge in. Then without warning, the two struck hard!

Hermit and Renka were sent flying back a bit, but easily recovered. Both had been able to block the attacks without a solid hit.

"Hehe, not bad," commented Kaku, "You managed to survive our _**Roku Gou Jin**_. But too bad, as nobody so far has been able to break through it! You're finished Phoenix Alliance!"

"Pfft, did you forget who you're fighting?" asked Renka, "You're fighting me, Ma Renka, the daughter of Ma Kensei, who's mastered all forms of Chinese Kenpo. I recognize each of your styles and how they work already. Even my dumb perverted friend here has seen through it, and his master is Ma Sogetsu, also a master of all forms of Chinese Kenpo."

"I thought I told you not to call me that," growled Hermit, "And yes, a child could see through your childish formation."

"Oh, and pray tell what it-" started Kaku, only to be interrupted.

"Circle, straight line, and spiral," replied both Renka and Hermit.

Silence reigned among them as Kaku and the others looked at them in shock.

"Circle line spiral?" questioned Takeda in confusion, "What's that mean?"

"I don't know, maybe some form of technique?" shrugged Tsuji.

"Whatever it is, it packs a punch," commented Kisara.

"It's like a car crash when they attack!" shouted Thor, "Be careful!"

"It's their movements," explained Niijima, "Their attacks come in that pattern. Circle for the girl. Straight for the eyepatch dude. Spiral for the last one."

The fighters looked at Niijima in surprise, turning to Miu and Kenichi in hopes he was wrong.

"He's right," smiled Miu.

The fighters looked back to the fight, feeling slightly ashamed that Niijima had been able to work out the analysis even faster than them.

"Such wisdom, as expected from my Demon Lord!" sang Siegfried.

"We shouldn't be too surprised, Niijima has shown that his analysis skills as quite higher than ours," sighed Freya as she leaned back.

Kaku shook out of his shock, "Just because you know doesn't mean you can counter it! The pattern can change at any time! It can't be broken by the likes of you!"

As if to punctuate that, Yo charged forward first, followed by a circle, then spiral.

"Damn punk's right," growled Natsu as he blocked the combo, unable to counter attack, "They cover each other's moves, leaving almost no weakness."

"Feh, I could handle them myself," pouted Renka as she rubbed her arms, having blocked the attacks too.

"Ma Kensei, your daughter, and your brother's disciple are nothing special," taunted Kaku as Kensei was kindly explaining the movements of the Three-Headed Dragon team to the Shinpaku Alliance.

Renka and Hermit felt a blood vessel pop in their foreheads as they heard this comment. Yet they couldn't do anything do their enemies teamwork.

"Hey, Hermit," said Renka, calling Natsu by his code name for the first time since the match started.

"What is it?" grunted Hermit as he blocked a hi low combo from Yinlin, preparing for what was to come next.

"I'm trusting you to watch my back," stated Renka, "I'm abandoning watching my back."

Before Hermit could react, Renka charged forward, jumping over him and kicking Kaku, who was using _**Kakei**_ to neutralize the force of the attack.

"You're a fool to attack so brazenly!" laughed Kaku as he tried to kick Renka, using powerful spiral movements to enhance his attack. He was met with a shock as Renka easily used _**Kakei**_ to parry it.

"You forget my father specializes in soft style!" shouted Renka as she tried to punch him, only for him to dodge back.

"Yo, now!" shouted Kaku as he jumped back.

Yo charged right towards Renka's back, who hadn't been paying attention at all. She had abandoned guarding her back in favor of being able to counter attack.

"Oh no, get out of the way!" shouted Takeda, but Yo was already behind her.

"Die!" shouted Yo as he threw a straight fist right at the back of Renka's head. Renka didn't even move to dodge it at all.

Abruptly, her head moved forward... no that wasn't correct. Her whole body was moving forward. Yo missed his punch, unable to understand what was happening. One moment, she was in front of him, the next moment, she was gone! She hadn't jumped or ducked either.

"Yo watch out behind you!" shouted Yinlin.

Yo turned around just in time to see Renka's foot smash into his face, sending him flying back.

"Arg, what the hell was that?" growled Yo in pain as he landed on his back right next to Kaku and Yinlin.

The trio looked to see Renka being whirled around by Natsu, who was grabbing her by her arm. Right before Yo's fist landed, Natsu had grabbed Renka by the arm and swung her around. The rotations soon stopped Natsu brought her close to kill the momentum before facing them once more. Renka landed on Natsu's thigh, one foot on it while the other was raised, assuming a fighting position, as did Natsu.

"Ha, you can't beat our combo!" grinned Renka.

"I'd prefer if you get your dirty shoes off my pants," growled Natsu, but not actually pushing her off, "Only reason I didn't let you get hit is that my sister would nag me for letting such an attack through."

"A combination born out of desperation won't defeat our _**Roku Gou Jin**_!" shouted Kaku as he initiated the first attack, quickly followed by Yo and Yinlin.

Suddenly, they were pushed back by a brutal combination attack from the two. Natsu was swinging Renka around his body while she launched a variety of kicks.

"Whoa, is that some combination attack they made to defeat their opponents?" asked Thor in excitement.

"Huh, didn't think Hermit was a team player," commented Sho.

Sogetsu, who was watching the whole fight, chuckled. The only reason they were able to perform such a combination was that they both used Chinese Kenpo and were familiar with each other's moves. Hermit had sparred with Renka a few times to become stronger. Not only that, but the two had been witnesses to his fight with Kensei, and had taken each of their moves to heart.

"It's no use, you've only made yourself a bigger target!" growled Kaku as the other two got behind him, "You still can't break through our _**Roku Gou Jin!**_ "

Before he took the first step, Hermit had thrown Renka right towards him. Renka caught a surprised Kaku by the waist, and with a quick spin, threw him into the house. Then, not even stopping, using the spinning momentum to kick Yinlin to the opposite side and chased after her.

"Kaku, Yinlin!" shouted Yo as he tried to chase after Renka, "I'll get you-"

His charge was interrupted by a brutal lariat from Hermit. Yo quickly got up and charged at Hermit, but with just himself now, he was easy pickings for Hermit. Hermit dodged his charge and slammed a knee into Yo's stomach, leaving him breathless. Hermit then spun around Yo's body, slamming an elbow to the back of Yo's head. Now completely dazed, Yo was unable to defend himself from Natsu's sudden barrage attacks.

"It's over!" shouted Hermit as his palm strike slammed into Yo's chin before using the momentum to spin and used _**Uryuu Banda**_ to finish it off, slamming an open palm right into the back of Yo's head, sending him careening into the ground.

The announcer saw Yo's eyes roll to the back of his head, now completely unconscious.

* * *

At the same time, Yinlin was desperately trying to attack Renka, only for her to easily block all her attacks and land a couple of punches into her stomach.

'Tch, then taste _**Bagua Tashin Kaei**_!' thought Yinlin as she suddenly pretended to retreat, getting ready to spin and try to strike Renka with a backhand strike.

It was a costly mistake as Renka suddenly sped up, stomping the ground with such force that the ground cracked as she placed one palm over the other right at Yinlin's back.

 _ **Tanpa**_

The palm strike at Yinlin's back sent her flying right into a tree that was planted in the stage, crashing into it before fainting.

Kaku quickly got back up from his impromptu trip into the house, shaking off the cobwebs in his head. That throw had hurt, and he was itching for revenge now. He stepped out of the house just in time to hear the announcer's voice.

"Ooh, the Three Headed Dragon's martial art formation has just been shattered! Both Yo and Yinlin won't be getting up anytime soon!"

"What!? Yo, Yinlin!" shouted Kaku in shock as he quickly jumped out to see their unconscious bodies.

"You lose," smiled Renka as she patted her hands, "It's 2v1, and I can beat you myself."

Kaku growled, "I can take you both on! I'll kill you both!"

Renka huffed and was about to charge in when Hermit stuck out his hands, stopping her from charging in.

"Hey, what's the big deal!?" complained Renka.

"I'll take him on alone," stated Hermit.

Renka frowned, glaring at Hermit for a second before sighing, "Fine. But you better win pervert."

"It's Hermit, exhibitionist!" roared Hermit before huffing and turning to Kaku, who was looking at him in a confusing gaze.

"Pervert?" asked Kaku, "Exhibitionist."

"Don't ask!" shouted Hermit and Renka.

"Hmph, anything that comes from the Ma family is pointless. Ma Kensei is a pervert, a liar, and someone who never takes responsibility for anything! It's because of him that the Chinese Martial Arts is looked down upon! Any offspring or brother of his is surely the same!" shouted Kaku. He began to launch a small explanation of his history with Ma Kensei before finally launching a fierce assault.

Hermit blocked the fierce assault until suddenly, Kaku managed to lift Hermit's arm up by force, leaving him defenseless for Kaku's next attack, a dual spinning palm strike to the chest.

"It's over!" shouted Kaku gleefully as the attack struck, sending Hermit back, "Now for the girl."

Kaku was just about to turn towards Renka when he heard Hermit taking a step forward. He whirled around to see Hermit seemingly dusting off the dirt off his shirt as if he hadn't been hit.

"You done ranting?" asked Hermit with a raised eyebrow, "I've taken harder hits than that strike. Good. Now everything you've just said... I pretty much agree with you."

Choju Giga bunny hopped across the stage as Kaku blinked in shock, as did Renka.

"Ma Kensei is a pervert to the highest degree, and is extremely whimsical, as is his daughter. My master, Ma Sogetsu, luckily didn't inherit the first part but definitely has the latter."

Ma Sogetsu felt a tick grow on his forehead at this.

"However... both Kensei and Sogetsu are surely the strongest people I've known to master Chinese Kenpo. Renka, however much I dislike her, is also strong. They bring their martial arts to new heights, and I am thankful for meeting my master, though I wish he wasn't so damn shitty sometimes," continued Hermit, "So quit your bitching and do something about it. I bet you wanted to go with Ma Kensei when he first offered it to you."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" roared Kaku as he tried to attack Hermit once more. Then he found something strange. The first time he attacked, he had been able to force Hermit on the defensive for a bit. Now, Hermit was easily blocking his attacks before suddenly changing the tempo, forcing Kaku to go on the defensive.

'Shit, he read me!' thought Kaku as he continued to use _**Kakei**_ to parry Hermit's attack, 'He used the first clash to analyze my tempo, and now he's using it against me! But how is he so effective in dealing with my style?'

Kaku coughed up blood when Hermit got through his defense and slammed a palm strike to the chest. One of the reasons why Hermit was able to read through Kaku wasn't just due to the fact he analyzed him in the first clash, but he had witnessed the Ma brothers fight each other in a duel to the death... which didn't really end in anyone's death. But because of that duel, he was able to see Ma Kensei use _**Kakei**_ and how Ma Sogetsu dealt with it. He saw the best fighting each other, and Kaku's _**Kakei,**_ when compared to Kensei, was just a pale imitation of it, barely a shadow of a true master.

Kau growled as he pushed forward, trying to perform a twin handstrike to Hermit's ears, only for Hermit to easily block both hands. Then, without hesitation, Hermit twisted his body like a coil and lashed out, catching Kaku in the ribs and fracturing some of them. Kaku coughed in pain but used the recoil to spin around him and grabbing Hermit by the chin and head.

 _ **Ban Ran!**_

Kaku turned while twisting Hermit's head, hoping to snap his neck. Hermit didn't fight it, but instead rolled with it, keeping his neck safe. After landing, he slammed a palm strike into Kaku's fractured ribs once more, forcing him to let go and leap back in pain.

"Grr, fine. I'll use my strongest move to finish this fight!" snarled Kaku as he took up his stance once more, his breathing becoming more controlled.

Hermit's eyebrow went up for a bit, taking a peak at his master. He too had recently learned a new move and wanted to see if he could use it on Kaku. Sogetsu shook his head, denying him that chance. The reason for Sogetsu's denial was quite simple. Hermit could beat this punk easily without it, and the longer his new move stayed hidden, the better his chances were in future fights that were bound to come. Especially in a televised area, where it was almost impossible to hide a technique.

Hermit frowned but turned back to facing Kaku, who seemed to be done with his breathing.

"Die!" screamed Kaku as he stepped forward, smashing Hermit with his secret technique, _**Raisei.**_

'Shit!' thought Hermit as he felt the winds from the punch, 'This is much stronger than I anticipated!'

As his mind raced through what to do, a memory appeared before him.

* * *

 _Flashback_

Ma Kensei and Ma Ryo aka Hakube were glancing at each other nervously. Their opponent was someone who they could not afford to hold back! Kensei slowly raised his hand up before reaching forward, probing for any form of attack. Then he slowly lowered it down onto a table, before picking up an object from it, slowly retreating his hand back before flipping it up.

It was a three tile bamboo shoot.

Right now, Ma Kensei and Ma Ryo were playing Mah Jong against Kaede and Honoka while Natsu was shouting obscenities in the background, trying to beat up Renka. They were currently at Ma Ryo's house, playing near the open background while Natsu was cursing up a storm, sparring against Renka.

Kensei put the tile into his hand, and with trepidation, threw out a Green Dragon tile to the discard. He had to risk it, even though the Green Dragon tile hadn't been played yet. He had currently held the dealer title for 6 rounds and the hand he had drawn was something he needed! By discarding the Green Dragon tile, he was now in Richi! He just needed a two, three, five, or six bamboo tile to win! With this, they could topple the one who stood at the pinnacle of Mah Jong!

"Kan."

Kaede uttered those words that frightened the two Masters. She easily took the Green Dragon tile before placing it to the side, drawing out three more tiles to reveal she had the other three. The masters gulped but kept their calming, hoping that they could still win as she drew a tile from the back end.

"Kan."

Kaede put four more tiles to the side, drawing another tile.

"Kan."

This time, the masters were sweating now. Kaede had somehow drawn all the dragon tiles in the game, and was still continuing to draw. She looked at her tile for a bit before putting it in her hand, taking another tile out and placing a seven bamboo tile out. The masters let out a breath of relief as the round continued, though Kensei was cursing his luck of not drawing the winning tile yet. Yet in just two turns, Kaede had disposed of a nine bamboo tile and an eight bamboo tile, confusing them all before she declared richi. Then in just one turn later, she slew the masters of all their points by drawing the winning tile.

"Tsumo."

With a bright smile, she flipped over her tiles to reveal the North and South winds, with the winning tile being the North winds. While the masters lamented their losses, Honoka turned to Kaede in curiosity.

"Hey, you could have won earlier with your bamboo tiles earlier. Why didn't you?" asked Honoka.

"I could've, but it wouldn't have taken all their points in one go then," Kaede kindly explained, "Sometimes, in order to win firmly, you just have to step back and look at the bigger picture. Sure, you can ruthlessly charge forward to try to win, but what happens if you run out of steam? Or even fall into a trap? No, it's far wiser to step back and counter when necessary."

"Aye, that applies to martial arts too!" cheered Renka as she took a step back and countered Hermit's cross attack, causing him to cough in pain, "I know Uncle Sogetsu is someone who tends to attack head on, but even knows when to step back for a second."

"That's true," added Kensei, looking up from his depression state for a second, "During our fight, you may not have noticed it, but Sogetsu had more than once stepped back to asses the situation, even if he does favor charging forward."

Natsu huffed as he slowly regained control of his breath, taking in the advice slowly. From others, he would've ignored, but if it was from his senior and his little sister... then it was something he would keep in mind.

"Anyways, I have a technique I want to teach you," said Ma Kensei as he stood up to walk over, "It's called _**Taiho**_. It's a technique in your scrolls that my brother left you. It's-"

"Uncle Short Ma! You can't leave like that, you still have a punishment game to play!" shouted Kaede.

Kensei cursed up a storm in his mind as he had hoped an impromptu lesson with Natsu would have made Kaede forget about the bet. None the less, he did teach Natsu the new technique at a later time.

* * *

 _Flashback ends_

His body moved before his mind could even react. Hermit took a step back, his whole body shifting to the side as he managed to barely dodge Kaku's _**Rasei**_ as it scraped by his chest. His left hand was already up, his palm facing towards Kaku as Kaku drove himself into the palm.

 _ **Taiho Shouhai**_

With a simple shift in weight, Hermit pushed, sending Kaku flying back into the house once more. Seeing as all three of the Chinese teammates were down, Ryozanpaku was quickly declared the winner.

"He, I see you used that technique even though you swore it would be useless," grinned Renka as she waltzed up to Hermit.

"Shut up, I didn't even think about it," muttered Hermit as the medics quickly loaded the Three Headed Dragon team into stretchers, quickly taking them to the infirmary.

As Kaku's vision was slowly fading, he looked at Hermit and Renka arguing before switching to Kenichi, where he was cheering for them.

'Taiho… I completely forgot about that technique,' thought Kaku, 'I've been so focused on moving forward that I never thought about stepping back. It's strange... that Ryozanpaku disciple is so strong, and yet he's surrounded by friends. Same with the one who calls himself Hermit. Even if he looks like someone who prefers to be alone, he still has people that care for him. That time... if I had taken Ma Kensei's offer to follow him...'

His mind wandered as he imagined himself with Kenichi, Renka, and Hermit. He and Kenichi were laughing together like brothers while watching Renka and Hermit arguing with each other again, all under the watchful eye of Ma Kensei. And somewhere in the background, Ma Sogetsu chuckled as he continued to drink his alcohol.

'There's no way... right?' thought Kaku as he finally fainted.

* * *

"So you're coming back with us right?" asked Renka as a path was made for them.

"Nope," corrected Hermit, "I fought the battle my shitty master had me fight. Now I'm getting out of here."

With that note, he dropped a smoke bomb out of nowhere, covering himself and Renka. By the time Renka managed to get out, she had already lost track of him. With a huff, she stomped back to the booth.

"Nice fight Renka," greeted Miu, "But why is your face red?"

"Eh?" blustered Renka, "Ah… it's the heat! The heat got to me!"

The truth was that in that smoke, Renka had managed to stumble upon Natsu as he was about to make his escape. However, as Renka lunged at him, she had missed... and may have face planted near his waist... or somewhere lower. She couldn't tell as it was too dusty, but her hands had touched his thighs, giving her an idea of where she face planted. She swore she felt something hard on her cheek that was also... roundish.

'Grr... now you really have to take responsibility for this! First, you touched mine, and now you forced me to touch yours!' Renka screamed mentally as the announcer was preparing to announce the next round.

* * *

"Nice fight brat," said Sogetsu as Natsu walked towards him, "Why are you clutching your stomach?"

"Freaking exhibitionist face planted into my stomach when she tried to stop me from leaving," growled Natsu, revealing that Renka had not actually done what she thought she had done.

"Hmph, just shows you need more training," scoffed Sogetsu when they both heard the announcement for the next match.

* * *

"So... any comments about that?" asked Sho.

"Those two fighters are closer to our level," admitted Tirawit, "For the girl, I predict … that I would have a 45-55% chance of beating her in a one on one fight, with a 30% chance of killing her with the current data. However, I know that she has not shown all her skills yet. This fight was not able to showcase all her abilities, just the ability to adapt easily in a team fight."

Boris and Ethan made similar comments while Rachel and Chikage merely looked bored.

"And Hermit?" asked Sho.

"Perhaps on par with Chou Enshin, our current Chinese Kenpo user and holder of the Moon Symbol of Yomi," analyzed Boris, "Perhaps a bit weaker, but these things can change."

"Yea, he's definitely gotten stronger," smiled Sho, happy for his friend.

"Since the one you call Hermit fought with Ryozanpaku, does that mean Ma Sogetsu and his disciple have allied themselves with Ryozanpaku and Katsujinken?" asked Chikage, suddenly piping up.

"Err, I don't think so?" shrugged Sho, "I've never actually met Ma Sogetsu personally, but from what I know, he is... was... still is? Whatever, he's part of the One Fist Nine Shadows, but he gave his seat to his friend Jisei Ro to hold onto, stating it was too troublesome to keep track with Yami. I'm pretty sure he's still a Satsujinken, like us. Most likely he wanted some fresh fodder for his disciple and chucked him in there. I've heard that despite leaving the feud with the Phoenix Alliance and Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance, he dislikes the latter because they tend to bother him while the former don't actively seek to fight him."

Before they could discuss this topic further, the announcement had them turn their attention back to the ring.

* * *

"Such an exciting match we just witnessed! But now, let's get the next match underway! Next up is the unbelievable people that we didn't imagine would past the first round, the Shinpaku Alliance vs. Mysterious Teenager who's background is completely unknown to the world! Garyu X! This time the stage is the Jungle, and is one of Diego Carlo's masterpiece! Especially that fruit tree in the middle! So who will emerge victoriously!? Oh, by the way, it's going to be a battle royale once more, so it's 1v5! So choose your fighters!"

"So who's going up?" Takeda asked Niijima.

Niijima didn't seem to respond, but rather was watching Garyu X as he jumped into the stage. Seconds later, Niijima seemed to perceptively nod before making his choices.

"Freya, Kisara, Tsuji, Thor, and Siegfried. You're all up," declared Niijma.

"Eh, what's the point?" yawned Tsuji, still getting up anyways, "Not like we're going to get a real fight. Man, I wanted to fight one of the other teams."

"Just shut up and get up there," growled Kisara, "I don't like it as much as you, but we still got to go up if not for appearance sake."

While the five were heading towards the ring, Kenichi and Miu couldn't help but feel something was going to happen. As if it was Deja Vu.

"Feh, this is going to be boring," yawned Sho as he leaned back, "The 'mysterious teenager' only joined in to deal with Kiryu Aryu. At most, he'll probably let the kids 'hit' him and just 'faint'."

"I would have thought he'd leave after such a farce," nodded Tirawit.

"Perhaps he thought it would be disrespectful to do so without formally announcing his forfeit," suggested Boris.

"Whatever, gives me time to plan out how to shine out more when it's my time," grinned Rachel.

The audience seemed to be agreeing with Sho's statement, getting bored of this farce as the five fighters were now face to face with Garyu X.

"Oh, and the mysterious teenager Garyu X seems to be dropping his offensive posture," noted the announcer.

"Hmph, not even the Elder would continue with this," chuckled Sakaki as he pulled out a beer, taking a sip.

"This is boring, let's leave," said Sogetsu, getting ready to leave.

"See, nothing much to do," sighed Tsuji as the others seemed to agree.

"Idiot! Guard Up!" shouted Niijima, much to everyone's confusion. Their confusion turned into shock about 0.2 seconds later. The reason for it?

Garyu X punched them all so hard with a single punch that they went flying into the air, his eyes glowing through his mask.

Sakaki spat out his drink while the others of Ryozanpaku stared in shock.

Members of the Shinpaku Alliance felt their jaws drop while Choju Giga animals sat next to them in glee.

Yomi had the same reaction as the Shinpaku Alliance, and several analysis programs within their brains malfunctioned.

Sogetsu, who had been ready to leave, stared at the ring in surprise while Natsu had similar reactions to Shinpaku.

Renka felt her hairs wilt down as she saw the scene.

Miu and Kenichi know understood just why they had felt the Deja Vu. This was the exact same thing that had happened in the timeline, except they had been the victim.

Niijima merely sighed as he remembered his conversation with the Elder the previous night.

 _Flashback_

"So why did you have me send Takeda?" asked Niijima as he sat alone with the Elder.

"Because the next fight for your group will be with me," stated the Elder, "I shall be fighting them."

"Wait, you mean legitimately fighting!?" shrieked Niijima.

"I won't be too harsh," laughed the Elder, "However, even though you have talented fighters, many are self-study. Even I had someone temporarily help me when learning martial arts."

"Please don't break them," sighed Niijima.

 _Flashback ends_

Diego was laughing while the flying fighters landed at the edge of the arena, almost tumbling off the edge. Then, with a simple gesture, Garyu X sent a shock wave towards the fighters, as if to emphasize the danger they were in.

"Hmm, perhaps this is?" mused Akisame, "0.0005% Group sparring and combination technique?"

"Here, in this stage?" hissed Kenichi.

"And how come I'm not in it!" pouted Takeda indignantly. Niijima later explained his reasoning to the others.

The glowing eyes that had been emanating through the mask slowly dimmed until it was gone, signifying Garyu X had chosen to close his eyes for the fight. None the less, he was still strong enough to completely annihilate others, including his next victims... cough fighters.

"What the hell is this?" hissed Sho, "What the hell is Ryozanpaku comprised of, maniacs?"

"It does seem to be rather... extreme," admitted Tirawit.

"Who cares, now this is entertainment!" shouted Rachel in glee, who was for once not angry at the show being stolen. The disciples all had to admit, though, seeing the Invincible Superman in action was certainly worth watching.

Diego Carlo seemed to have conflicting emotions at this show, but in the ended angrily praised his decision to allow Garyu X to continue. The audience was certainly being entertained.

* * *

Freya and the others had managed to wake up and quickly hid behind a tree, trying to get their breath back.

"What the hell is this!?" hissed Kisara.

"Perhaps he's angry we decided to come despite his warnings?" muttered Thor.

"Or maybe he wants to prepare us for the world that we're diving into," theorized Freya.

"Who cares!? This is so much better than I thought it would be!" shouted Tsuji with excitement, "Let's go kick his ass!"

"Shhh!" hissed all of them, but it was too late.

A spear hand struck right through the trunk of the tree they had been hiding behind, narrowly missing Tsuji's head. The five fighters slowly but surely turned towards the hand, shaking in slight fear as another hand joined in, widening the gap to reveal Garyu X's face. Then, with a peal of cackling laughter, Garyu X split the poor tree in half to chase after them as they ran.

"You really think this is a good time for training?" asked Takeda as Niijima finished his explanation to him and the others.

"Now may be the only time," admitted Niijima, "The reason I agreed not to put Tsuji in the first round, but rather in this one, instead of you, is because in that group, none of them have real masters. Freya might if she decides to head back to her old dojo more, but other than that, most of them are self-taught. Even Tsuji, who had a master for a few months, was only taught the basics as a way to get him off the mountain."

"Getting training from the Invincible Superman, even advice, is something," admitted Renka, "A lot of people around the world keep asking him for even a single lesson. The fact he's doing this willingly is something."

"Well, since you have this situation handled, I'm off to handle another one," said Kensei as he trotted away. His goal was the injured Three Headed Dragon.

* * *

 **And done. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!**

 **This story has been beta by ZShaq and TheReader2011. Enjoy, leave a review for me to improve!**

* * *

"Duck!"

The Shinpaku members did so, narrowly dodging a kick from Garyu X. That didn't stop the wind generated from the kick from blowing them away. Before they could do anything, Garyu X slammed a fist into all of them, sending them flying towards the edge.

"Punch after punch, hit after hit, the mysterious teenager Garyu X is showing no mercy, even towards his own comrades," shouted the announcer.

The crowd was stirred into a flurry of excitement, watching a master wailing on some kids.

"Stand up," hissed Freya as she managed to pick herself up, "We can't let ourselves be beaten like this. It's obvious he's holding back."

"Yea, otherwise we'd be space dust," admitted Kisara with a groan, "His damn eyes aren't even open."

The teenagers had noticed the glowing eyes that escaped out of the mask's eyepiece had slowly dimmed, as if a shutter was going over the source of light. It took them seconds to figure out that Garyu X was fighting with his eyes closed and still kicking their ass.

"Problem is how we're going to attack," grunted Tsuji.

"We could toughen up and take the attack?" suggested Thor.

"Lalalaa, that would be difficult," sang Siegfried, though he was rasping notes at this point, "Such a task would be rather dangerous."

"We don't have a choice," growled Kisara, "We can't win just by dodging or defending, especially since we can barely even dodge his attacks properly."

"Everyone, let's just charge in and attack!" exclaimed Tsuji.

As they all did so, they suddenly found themselves being punted away into different sides by Garyu X. Freya and Kisara were in one group on the left while the Siegfried, Tsuji, and Thor were on the right."

"Girls, your attacks still have weak points/Boys, two of you still have too much useless movements," said Garyu X, stating both sentences at the same time.

"Did he just speak two sentences at the same time?" blinked Kisara in surprise.

"That is one of the Invincible Superman's special abilities," explained Akisame from the booth, "Bi-vocal. He can divide his trachea, lungs, and vocal cords into two different sections, and then speak through them in different timings. He usually does it when he's singing karaoke. But that's not all he can do. He can also create an axis right in the middle of his body, allowing his left and right body to move separately from each other."

"That's not something a normal human is supposed to be able to do," sweated Takeda.

"Come girls, don't hold back!/Come boys, show me your strength," declared Garyu X, his left hand waving at the girls to come while his right hand was clenched in a fist and whirling around a little.

"Let's show him what we can do!" grinned Freya.

"Falala, the concert of friendship shall begin!" sang Siegfried as he ran up first before suddenly stopping right in front of Garyu X, ready to counter whatever he was going to do.

"You're a brave one, aren't you?" grinned Garyu X behind his mask.

"C'mon, we can't let him be the only one!" shouted Tsuji as he ran forward, as did everyone else.

 _ **Kugatachi Ryuu Gokui, First Technique: Rei Mei**_

 _ **Koppou no Tooshi**_

 _ **Thor's Hammer**_

 _ **Double Hammer Kick**_

The Shinpaku members all attacked at once, hoping to land a hit. Freya and Tsuji attacked the upper part of Garyu X while Kisara and Thor attacked the lower half. All of them looked to be clean hits, too until Garyu X suddenly became transparent.

 _ **Thor's Hammer/Double Hammer Kick**_

Suddenly, there were two Garyu X in the field. One used Kisara's move and slammed both Freya and Kisara back while the other copied Thor's hammer and hammered the boys away. Even Siegfried, who had done nothing, was blown away, and despite him trying to roll with it, was unsuccessful due to how fast the attack had hit him.

The remaining Shinpaku Alliance still in the booth gazed in traumatized awe while Yomi could barely believe their eyes. Diego Carlo was leaning on his hand, looking at the fight in interest. Even he admitted that this was a fight he could learn just from watching, even with Garyu X using only 0.0005%. Ma Sogetsu had sat down, earnestly watching the fight while sipping on his Baijiu. Natsu was sitting next to him, also unable to tear his eyes away from the spectacle.

'I still have a long way to go,' thought Kenichi as he watched his friends get pummeled by the Elder. He knew that in order to marry Miu, he would need to defeat the Elder in combat. Even with all his experience, he was nowhere close to even touching the Elder.

Kenichi felt a hand snake its way into his, grasping as it did so. Kenichi didn't need to look to know that it was Miu.

"You'll do it someday," whispered Miu as she placed her head onto his shoulder, "I know you will."

Renka turned her gaze from Garyu X to the couple, several emotions crashing against each other in conflict. On one hand, she wanted to interrupt their little lovey dovey session or claim Kenichi's other hand. On the other hand, she was wondering where the hell Natsu was and why he wasn't with her. That thought put a screeching halt to all processes for a bit.

* * *

The five fighters all landed in a heap close to each other in pain.

"Son of a... ow," groaned Tsuji as he tried to pick himself up.

"What the hell was that, a bushin?" growled Kisara as she laid flat on her back, trying to will away the pain.

"And to use just one of our attacks against us," said Freya as she leaned on her staff to try to get back up.

"Nonetheless, we won't give up!" shouted Thor as he grasped Siegfried's hand to help each other up.

"Falalala, the music of friendship has not ended yet!" sang Siegfried.

Suddenly, the ground split right in between the boys and girls, courtesy of Garyu X's punch. Even with 0.0005% of his power, he was able to do that with a simple punch.

"Judging from your current fighting abilities, you would be killed by Yomi even if I spared your miserable lives. If that's the case, then I shall personally send you both to heaven right now!"

The fighters gulped in fear at this statement, and were about to ask if he was serious when he let out of fierce roar that was both loud and loaded with his Ki. The fighters were sent stumbling back while the audience members shrunk back in fear. Yomi braced themselves against it, but they all had to take a step back to withstand the Ki. Niijima quickly put up his secret technique, Alien Barrier, to protect himself, Matsui and Shiratori. The rest of the competitors were pressing their backs to the wall, trying to get away from Garyu X as far as possible while still being able to see the fight. Renka and Natsu also had to take a step back to stabilize themselves. The only competitors who didn't really react were Kenichi and Miu, both taking the Ki shout head on, as well as the masters

"Oyoy, he's going a bit far, isn't he?" asked Sakaki, his eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry, he knows what he's doing," assuaged Akisame.

Meanwhile, Apachai had released his own Ki in excitement, causing the shirt he was wearing to shred into pieces for some reason. It was there that Jennifer brought plenty of clothes for Apachai to try on.

Kisara and the others had half the mind to jump out of the ring to escape Garyu X. The moment that thought passed through their minds, they all growled in anger at that thought. They would not flee in a fight like this! This was a rare chance to spar against the Invincible Superman that many in the underground world of martial arts would beg to have. Each one of them slowly stood back up, glaring at Garyu X in defiance before charging in once more. Yet each time they did so, Garyu X not only tricked them with the afterimage but sent them flying back again with their own moves. However, each time they were sent back, Garyu X used the _**Obstructive Lung Voice**_ technique to give each fighter advice.

"Siegfried, you certainly have mastery of Go No Sen (Striking Last, but Hitting First), but sometimes, you must be the first to initiate the attack."

"Tsuji, you certainly are headstrong and stubborn, which is good. However, there are times when you must step back and think."

"Thor, you are the same as Tsuji. Your willingness to take attacks for your team is admirable, but you must minimize your movements, especially with your size."

"Freya, you certainly have begun to dive deeper in mastering your weapon. However, your reflexes need work. You must be able to analyze your opponent's movements better."

"Kisara, kicks are not simply just landing hits on your opponent. It's about taking over your opponent's territory."

Kisara growled as she managed to switch over to Miu's movements, but even with that, she was still easily taken down.

"Hmm, she copied her movements, but in the end, it's still a copy. They're a bit stiff," commented Sho as he watched the beatdown.

"Better Kisara, but not quite there," commented Garyu X.

"Kisara!" shouted a voice from the Shinpaku booth.

Kisara grunted as she turned her head to see Ukita struggling to keep himself up despite his injuries.

"You can do it!" shouted Ukita, straining himself, "You said it yourself, you'd find your own path!"

"Indeed, change those movements to your own style," lectured Freya as she stood up once more, "Find your own source of movements."

Garyu X charged, smacking away Thor and Tsuji as he threw a fist at Kisara once more when suddenly, she dodged it. Her movements completely changed, all the stiffness from earlier gone. In replacement of dancing like a feather in the wind, her movements became something similar to a cat.

"Oh, what's this? Has a cat spirit possessed the fighter Kisara?" joked the announcer as Kisara began to groom herself.

Back in Fortuna's booth, his hands started to eagerly shake in excitement. He so desperately wanted to collect the Shinpaku fighters into his collection, with Kenichi as the biggest prize.

"Alright, this'll be the last of our fight," declared Garyu X, "Show me what you've learned."

Each of them took a deep breath as their own Ki began to rise at their statement, willing to risk everything to land even a single hit on their opponent. The five surrounded Garyu X, who was waiting for them to come.

To everyone's surprise, the first to attack was Siegfried, who spun on his own to attempt to land a spinning kick at Garyu X's waist. Tsuji charged in, narrowly dodging a kick to his face. Thor took this time to trust Tsuji to dodge instead of trying to tank it for him and threw a dozen palm thrusts at Garyu X.

Freya jumped into the air, using _**Kugatachi Ryuu Gokui, Fourth Technique: Toufu**_ , to strike at Garyu X's head. Once more, he disappeared into an afterimage, ready to strike them down when he noticed that only four had been there.

"Kisara now!" shouted Freya.

The Elder turned to hear Kisara jumping up, and turned to strike her with a back fist. Kisara barely dodged it, spinning as a cat would to dodge something, before using that momentum to lash out a kick to his face once more.

"Oh, it's a direct hit!" screamed the announcer as the kick seemed to land with a solid impact, "No wait, he's dodged it once more, leaving an afterimage!"

"Shit," cursed Kisara as she landed, "Go down already!"

"Ah, wait!" the announcer proclaimed as a small crack appeared on the mask, momentarily loosening the mask to reveal the Elder's smiling face with a tiny scratch mark on his cheek.

The Elder quickly put it back on before declaring that he had a transmission from Garyu Pink regarding important hero duties and that he had to forfeit. He even had a Super Sentai transmission watch to go along with his apparel.

"My youthful **19-year-old** self must end the test of skills here. I can not delay any longer, farewell!" waved Garyu X to the crowd, receiving a rain of applause from the crowd. With a burst of speed, Garyu X jumped straight into the air before somehow kicking off in midair, changing directions, landed on the bleachers before climbing out of the Colosseum itself in a flash.

"Well, it looks like Garyu X has left the arena! Victory goes to the Shinpaku Alliance! They'll be in the finals on the Earth side!" declared a dazed announcer.

A light rain of applause poured over the Shinpaku Alliance as their fighters dragged themselves back to their booth. Though they had 'won', they certainly didn't feel like winners.

"C'mon, cheer up," said Miu.

"Easy for you to say," growled Kisara, "Even with all five of us and him using only 0.0005% of his power, we barely scratched him."

"Hey, that's still something," frowned Kenichi, "I sparred with the Elder before with him using only 0.0001%, and I still get wrecked."

"That makes me feel a little better," admitted Tsuji, "But I want a rematch!"

"I learned a lot in that fight," laughed Thor.

"Falala, indeed," sang Siegfried, "I wish to pursue him as my master!"

"What!?" shouted all of them.

"I wish to learn _**Bi-Vocal**_ and _**Obstructive Lung Voice**_ from him!" sang Siegfried, "Such skill would drastically improve my musical skills to new heights!"

"Oh," was the sigh of relief throughout them all.

* * *

"So... thoughts about that?" asked Sho.

"The grandmaster of Ryozanpaku is very... eccentric," stated Ryuto, pushing his glasses up.

"That's to say the least," snorted Rachel

"With him as the head, it's no wonder why Ryozanpaku stands as one of the pinnacle of martial arts," analyzed Boris calmly, "I have always wondered how they could stand in the way of Yami such little funds when compared to us, but I see now why our masters are wary of them."

"As for the other competitors, they are no match for us," stated Tirawit with cold logic.

"Indeed, they may be passable for this sort of competition, but against us, they will die," stated Chikage.

"That may be true," commented Ethan, who had been silent for awhile, "But if our information is correct, none of the fighters that went up just now have any real masters or formal training. All of them are self-study martial artists, and to be able to come this far is something to be noted."

Chikage frowned at Ethan defending them, but conceded to his point. To be able to reach this far in the world of martial arts by themselves was certainly something to note.

"Shinpaku Alliance huh," murmured Sho as he looked over to their booth. According to their source, the president of the said alliance was actually someone who had no martial arts skills whatsoever. However, it was noted that despite not having any fighting prowess, his analysis on people was on a whole nother level, perhaps on par with Tirawit, if not higher.

"Well that's something we can think about later, right now, it's my turn to shine!" proclaimed Rachel, reminding them that her match was next.

Seconds later, the announcement was made that the Gemini team would be fighting the Capoeria team.

* * *

Ma Kensei whistled a tune while he walked back from the Three Headed Dragon team. He had convinced them to run from the Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance, knowing that if they returned, they would be killed. He directed them towards Yokohama Chinatown, knowing Ryo Ma would be able to protect them.

While walking back, he paused before leaning against the wall to a corner, as if resting.

"So you convinced the brats to leave for your organization," grunted Ma Sogetsu, hidden in the shadow of the corner.

"If they went back, they would just die," replied Kensei.

"They chose their path," shot back Sogetsu with no real fire, "Well I suppose they did provide reasonable cannon fodder for my disciple to grow."

"What will you do now?" asked Kensei.

"Whatever I want to do," scoffed Sogetsu, "I have a shitty disciple that refuses to let go of me as well as another brat."

"That certainly sounds like you," chuckled Kensei, "Young Kaede still has you in the palm of her hands?"

"No!" whined Sogetsu before coughing, "I mean, I can't let her think she can beat me in Mah Jong so easily."

"Relax brother, both me and uncle Hakubi couldn't even hold a candle against her," sighed Kensei.

Sogetsu seemed to relax a little at that sentence before resuming his posture once more, "Your grandmaster is quite... eccentric. Though it was quite entertaining and educational for my disciple."

Sogetsu didn't add that he himself learned a thing or two, not willing to admit it.

"Yes, he is," smiled Kensei, "I should head back."

With that, Kensei continued to walk back to the others while Sogetsu himself disappeared from the shadows.

* * *

The arena was soon ready with the theme being the Mexican ruins. Once again, Diego's blatant favoritism could be seen here, but it was something they had long grown accustomed to. What surprised them was that Diego declared a battle royal despite the Gemini team being outnumbered. The Capoeria team wasn't a pushover like the New York Street Fighters were.

"Hmph, it doesn't matter," scoffed Rachel as she stood up, "We'll monopolize all the attention with this!"

Of course, another reason that Diego was doing so was to push the matches faster. Doing a 1v1 combat would be too time-consuming, and they wanted to have the tournament finished today.

As the teams were ready to fight, Shinobi managed to slide his way next to Aisha.

"Careful, I have a bad feeling about the guy," whispered Shinobi.

Aisha scoffed as she turned around to him, "Seriously? The girl is just a showoff. Take care of her and the brother will crumble easily. Plus we have our leader, he can easily handle this."

Shinobi bristled a bit before pushing that emotion away, "I'm serious. This is Yomi we're fighting against. Those two are direct disciples of Yami's One Shadow Nine Fist."

Aisha's face seem to soften as Shinobi's statement until their leader, Lucas, interrupted the moment, "I don't care."

Aisha's face turned to Lucas with adoration, "Leader, you're always so calm!"

Shinobi's face turned ugly before taking a few deep breaths, calming himself down. It wouldn't do well to get angry at his teammate now, especially since Aisha was slowly starting to notice him a little more. Not enough to steal her attention from their leader, who he grudgingly acknowledged was stronger and smarter than him. But that would change in the future!

"Shinobi, do your best!" cheered Kenichi, noticing Shinobi's grimace.

Shinobi turned around to Kenichi, giving a smile and a thumbs-up before turning his head back to the fight, just to see his teammates all staring at him.

"What?" asked Shinobi, a bit disturbed that they were all staring at him. Even the leader was staring at him, and he usually never did that.

"Silvio, you know him?" asked Aisha with amazement and shock in her eyes, calling him by his real name.

Shinobi, unused to Aisha staring at him like that, stuttered for a bit, "Uhhh yea. Kind of? I talked to him last night. Made some small talk and stuff, he's a nice guy."

"What did you talk about?" Lucas asked/demanded.

"Stuff," said Shinobi vaguely. He wasn't going to let them all know his little conversation with Kenichi about how to woo the girl of his dreams. "Let's just focus on the match now."

That seemed to assuage them all as they turned back to their opponent. They could pester Shinobi more about him knowing Kenichi later. How he was somehow acquaintances with possibly the strongest fighter in this entire tournament was something to come back to.

"Are you all ready!?" yelled Diego in his mic, "Let the next match of the D of D begin!"

The Capoeria team quickly surrounded the twins, trying to take advantage of having more people. As Lucas calmly analyzed the situation, he realized the Shinobi was quite right to be wary of the male. Shinobi, despite all his bluster within the team, had earned the right to be vice-captain of the team. He was the second strongest on the team, his analysis almost as good as his. His only problem was his constant attempts at wooing Aisha while trying to be subtle about it. The fact that Shinobi would challenge his views wasn't a problem, but rather a welcomed sight.

He didn't want to admit, but the fact that his teammates all obeyed his commands in blind obedience was boring. Shinobi, at least, had the guts to voice his opinions, no matter how annoying he got, but would follow orders... for the most part. Another flaw of his was that if he was angered and flustered, he had a tendency to ignore him. But such events were very rare.

Instead, one of his other teammates decided to initiate the attack, aiming for Ethan. It was a sensible tactic, as the kick wasn't head on where Ethan could see it, but from the side. Theoretically, it would be where Ethan would be the slowest to react.

They had vastly underestimated Ethan though. Without hesitation, Ethan grabbed the leg, threw his attacker into the ground, and began wailing into him. The others couldn't even move to help their teammate.

Ethan made sure his opponent was no longer a threat before tossing him away and taking his spot back against Rachel's back.

"Little brother, I told you to be more Lucha," hissed Rachel, elbowing him.

"Sorry sister, but my master told me to always finish off my opponent immediately when in a fight," replied Ethan.

Lucas began to quickly plan the attack. He would obviously take on Ethan, as this would be a fight to look forward to. Yet he also couldn't simply throw away the numbers advantage they had. Plus, he had to agree with Shinobi's analysis. These were direct disciples of Yami's One Shadow Nine Fist. The cream of the crop, a cut above all other disciples... except for those two monstrous people at Ryozanpaku. How they were so powerful despite being almost the same age was perplexing.

"Aisha, with me against the male. Shinobi and Eliot, take the girl," snapped Lucas. He chose Aisha to accompany him not because he was trying to woo her, but knew Shinobi would get distracted if the two were teamed up together. He easily pieced it together that Shinobi liked Aisha, though Aisha didn't know it yet. But the seeds of his effort was starting to grow back in their fight against the Black Force.

He also knew Aisha looked up to him with adoration, but he couldn't return the feelings. He just didn't have the same feelings for her. If it wasn't for the fact that winning this tournament was so important, Lucas would have helped pushed Aisha to Shinobi.

"Roger," replied all three of them. Even Shinobi didn't argue with his order.

* * *

Despite having the numbers advantage, the Capoeria team was quickly put down. Eliot was the first to be knocked out via pile driver from Rachel. Lucas used Jogo to try to find weak points in Ethan, but was unable to hit them. Especially when Ethan stabbed a pressure point in his leg, numbing it and disabling it at the same time. Despite that, Lucas tried his best to defend himself, only to fall down next from a well-timed cross chop. Aisha was next to fall to the ground when Ethan aimed a well-placed kick that dislocated her leg.

As she saw a fist aiming for her head, Aisha closed her eyes in fear, expecting the pain to come, when she heard Shinobi scream her name. Aisha heard flesh smacking into something, but didn't feel the pain or impact. Aisha slowly opened her eyes to see Shinobi standing in front of her protectively, glaring at Ethan.

Shinobi had managed to use Rachel's throw to boost himself towards Ethan, ignoring the stabbing pain that he had suffered from Rachel. Then, with a quick flip, he landed a dropkick right into Ethan's arm, who had raised it to block the attack. The impact sent Ethan skidding away a little, but standing upright.

"Shinobi?" breathed Aisha in pain.

"Get some rest," stated Shinobi as he stared down Ethan and Rachel, "I'll handle this as best I can."

"But-," started Aisha, but Shinobi interrupted her.

"I know I'm not a match against them. But we still have to show the world what we can still do. Plus, I made a promise to myself that I'd pro-... Just watch."

With a roar, Shinobi bravely charged forward towards a grinning Rachel and a serious faced Ethan while Aisha watched him. Strangely enough, Shinobi seemed to fight with ferocity and grace that seemed to match or even exceed their captain's ability. Sadly, that wasn't enough as Rachel managed to slide kick into Shinobi, tripping him forward just to be smacked into Ethan's lariat. Shinobi was sent flipping in the air before landing flat on his face, his eyes rolled up to his head.

"That's over," stated Rachel as she turned to deal with the only remaining member of the Capoeria team, Aisha.

Aisha whimpered as she tried to stand up, only to stumble once more. Rachel smiled as she suddenly used her little brother as a pillar to jump off, ready to body slam into Aisha. Just as she was still in the air, she noticed someone coming for her fast and quickly adjusted her position, quickly bringing her arms up to block the kick that was aiming for her head.

"Who dares interrupt my spotlight!?" growled Rachel as she landed.

Aisha looked up, thinking that the captain or one of the other members had managed to get up, only to see Shinobi standing once more in front of her.

"Silvio?" whispered Aisha in shock.

Shinobi didn't answer her despite standing up in front of her. Rachel was ready to jump onto Silvio and toss him around when Ethan's hand clasped onto her shoulder.

"It's over," said Ethan, pointing to Shinobi.

Aisha managed to drag herself to a position where she could see Shinobi's face only to see the white of his eyes and a blank look. Shinobi was unconscious, and yet standing to protect Aisha despite all the damages. She couldn't hold back the horrified gasp, and yet at the same time, felt something for him.

"It's over," stated Ethan, looking at Aisha, "If you want to continue, then be prepared to forfeit your lives."

Aisha shook her head, "We forfeit."

"And the winner is the Gemini team! As expected from the team Diego Carlo himself endorsed!" shouted the announcer as the audience began to clap. Rachel stood in the limelight, drinking up all the attention while the Capoeria team was carried. Aisha herself stayed with Shinobi the whole way when he was loaded up onto a stretcher.

"Wasn't that exciting folks!?" cheered the announcer, "Next up, we have the Mongolian Bufu team vs. the Pankration team!"

As Spartacus and his fellow brothers and sisters walked up to the arena, he paused to give Niijima a glance. Niijima gave a subtle nod back in response. Spartacus then continued forward, as if never having paused.

The fight between the two teams was quite brutal... for the Mongolian Bufu team. Despite being prepared knowing that the Pankration team would be tough, they never expected the girls and boys to fight 'dirty'. Dirty meaning double-teaming against one opponent, eye poke, or even aiming for a man's manhood. Once again, the Pankration team won the match without a single injury. Well almost without any injury, as Iris had a small scratch on her right arm from falling off her opponent. Spartacus quickly asked for a medic for the scratch, only to be met with derision from the attending guards. That attitude quickly changed when Spartacus began yelling at him, leaking killing intent as he did so.

"Don't act like that leader," cautioned Onemaus.

"That's right, it's only a scratch," said Iris gently.

"We won't ignore it, even if it's only a scratch," said Spartacus solemnly, "We will stay together until the day we acquire our freedom. Not when it's so close."

The Pankration team slowly walked towards their booth, knowing their chance to escape would be soon.

"Hmm," mused Fortuna as he watched his precious children walk off the stage.

"Something wrong?" asked Diego curiously, getting ready to announce the next fight. To be honest, this was one fight he wasn't sure he wanted his disciple to get in.

"My son's look... He has something planned," explained Fortuna, "Not to mention, they should have been able to end that fight much sooner. It was as if he purposely delayed the match far longer than required."

"Maybe to show off?" inquired Diego. He had done so before to entertain the crowd.

"Perhaps... but it's not like him to do so," frowned Fortuna, "He has always taken the shortest and safest path for the sake of his team. This time... didn't feel like it. What could possibly make him do so?"

"Something to think about another time," advised Diego as he coughed into the mic, making sure it was on, "Now, it's time for the next match! I'm sure you're all excited as I am for this next match! Up next, is team Ryozanpaku vs my favorite team of all, Team Gemini!"

"Hmph, now is the time for me to shine! We Stanley twins are like diamonds, and will crush you with the strength of it!" declared Rachel. However, behind her loud proclamation, Yomi could feel her unwavering confidence starting to shake a little. After all, she was about to fight two people who had reached _**Ki no Shouka**_.

Before anyone could say anything, though, a loud explosion shook the Coliseum. This was soon followed by airplanes flying over the island, deploying troops as they flew by. Nobody had noticed that most of the Ryozanpaku masters had left during the Pankration fight, all except for Shigure.

The raid to capture the underground criminals and Fortuna by the Allied forces had begun.

* * *

As the crowds began to flee, Kenichi looked towards Yomi, pondering what would happen next. Would Sho challenge him? That seemed unlikely as he had been told that he could not participate in the tournament. Would he have to fight Ethan? Or heaven forbid, fight Rachel? Yomi also stared off at Kenichi until the Coliseum grew silent. Most of the audience members had fled, leaving only Diego Carlo, Fortuna, Shigure, the Shinpaku Alliance members, Yomi, and Renka.

Carlo Diego took a look around to make sure that there was no audience members left before making his decision.

"Let's retreat, Castor!" declared Diego, surprising his disciple as well as everyone in Yomi.

"What are you talking about!?" asked Fortuna, "What about the match?"

Diego made a tsking noise while wagging his finger, "We don't fight if there's no audience!"

Rachel quickly looked around to confirm his words before slowly standing up once more. She knew she would have to confess to her Maestro later, but she was scared to fight Kenichi or Miu. She turned around to leave when she noticed her brother wasn't following her.

"What are you doing?" hissed Rachel, "Let's go."

"No," said Ethan calmly as he began to walk towards the arena, "In the end, someone has to fight. While your master called you back, I have a duty to challenge Shirahama Kenichi."

"You don't have to do it now," growled Rachel as she started to pull him back, "There's no audience! Plus, as much I hate to admit, he is much stronger than us!"

"Which is all the more reason to challenge him now," replied Ethan, "I will experience the depth of his strength. If needed, I will become the tool to which you all may grow from this fight."

"Ethan, I foresee the chance of you winning is... less than 2%," frowned Tirawit, "I advise you not to engage now. Retreat and fight another day. We can use the time to catch up to him."

"Will we be able to?" shot back Ethan, "He is far stronger than us all. In order to catch up, there must be a catalyst. I am willing to become that catalyst to make all of Yomi stronger."

"Ethan, I order you as leader of Yomi to stand down," said Sho, using his authority as leader of Yomi.

"I respectfully must disobey that order," Ethan responded, "This is one fight that must be fought. If you are afraid he will kill me, fear not. He is part of Katsujinken, meaning he will not kill. And unlike some master like Silkwat Junazard, my master will not throw me away just because of one loss. He is a kind master who will understand why I must do this."

Chikage didn't know what to say. Her master would most likely tell her to say nothing, to watch and learn from the match. However, Ethan was one of the more kinder people in Yomi, always willing to help. In fact, he and his master were probably the nicest in a place where they killed others for the sake of martial arts to the fact some people wondered why Cyril Rahman followed Satsujinken, given his personality. Ethan was very much like his master in the same regard.

"Ethan, as your older sister, I'm telling you to come with me!" said Rachel, almost shouting now.

Ethan ignored her as he walked forward.

"Shirahama Kenichi," declared Etahn, "I am Ethan Stanley of Yomi. And I-"

"Are going with the others," interrupted Diego, "I thought you might pull something like this, so I went ahead and got this."

Diego threw a letter at Ethan, to which he easily caught. Ethan quickly read through the letter and frowned. After finishing it, Ethan obediently walked back to the other members of Yomi. Diego had personally contacted Cyril yesterday to get that letter after watching Kenichi and Miu defeat Gorobe. In it stated from Cyril himself that he was to obey Diego's words as if he was the master. He knew Ethan might disobey orders... which was why he took it to himself to get that letter so as to keep Rachel happy. Anything to make his cute little disciple happy.

"Hmph, a word from your master and you suddenly obey," pouted Sho.

"Would you not do the same with your master?" asked Ethan.

"Ehehe, good point," sweatdropped Sho as he laughed nervously. Honestly, if it hadn't been a direct command from his master not to participate in any fights here, he would have challenged Kenichi right now. Still, they had to do something.

Tirawit, Sho, Boris, and Ethan looked at each other and nodded as one. Each one of them pulled out their Yomi emblem, with Sho taking an extra emblem that was Radin's emblem. Each one of them threw their emblem at Kenichi, who raised both hands to catch all five within the gaps of his fingers.

"Those are our Yomi emblems," stated Sho, "It's a Yomi style duel challenge. We will kill you to get those back! Maybe not now, but we will catch up and take those off your hands! And Miu, I'll show you that I'll be the one to protect you."

"I will analyze a winning pattern," murmured Tirawit.

Boris nodded in agreement, knowing that if he was ordered to take down Kenichi, he would do so without hesitation.

"Let's get to the boat before we get caught up in this whole mess," advised Ryuto as Rimi began to quickly push his chair towards the exit. As they left, Ryuto muttered a quick word to Ethan about last night's events. Ethan frowned but merely nodded, thanking Ryuto for his words.

"Hmm, disappointing," sighed Fortuna, "I was hoping to see more of the boy in action."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have pulled that stunt earlier," replied Diego before jumping off the booth.

"Perhaps, but the tournament will still continue as long as I'm still here! Shinpaku vs. my children, the Paktrion team! Com-"

"You won't be starting anything more," interrupted Jennifer, pointing her revolver at Fortuna's forehead, "How can you stay so calm if everyone's been arrested?"

Sakaki quickly caught up to Jennifer, trying to convince her to arrest him and not shoot him. However, her rage pushed her over the limits when Fortuna made a crass remark about the great Colonel Lancelord Grey being killed by his own gun. Sakaki quickly pushed Jennifer down to protect her as two needles suddenly shot off from Fortuna's seat. Sakaki quickly stopped them with his bare teeth while Jennifer shot Fortuna in the head and body, all lethal shots, with her powerful revolvers.

"You think this would've made your father happy?" lectured Sakaki in disappointment, "Your father was a great man who never killed anyone with a gun! Using Colorado Shots on him... what would've happened if you had hit a real person."

Jennifer looked at Sakaki in shock before looking at the body just to see mechanical parts spilling all over the body she had shot.

"Hahaha, no wonder you're a Grandmaster, Sakaki Shio! How could you tell this was a fake? I've spent a fortune creating this replica that has fooled so many!" laughed a warped voice of Fortuna.

"You'd never stay in a position where you could be sniped so easily," stated Sakaki as he lifted Jennifer up to his shoulder, "Let's go, we have the real one to find."

Meanwhile, the real Fortuna was standing over some rooftops with a grin. He slowly put on his goggles as he whispered a code into it.

"Code:Show Time!"

* * *

The Shinpaku Alliance members as well as Kenichi, Miu, and Renka, were making their way to the harbor. As they were running, a tank burst out in front of them all. It wasn't just them, though. All around the island, tanks were coming out from hidden tunnels, while soldiers poured out of vehicles to fight Allied soldiers, wearing NIJ Class 5 body armor, far beyond the Allied soldier's own armor. Not only were their weapons useless against the new threat, but Fortuna's soldiers were also carrying the latest assault rifles, ones that had only just been developed. The Allied forces had not been counting on such a devastating counter-attack, having chosen mobility over power for this operation.

Fortuna grinned as he saw his forces easily pushing back the Allied forces. Soon, he would have the chance to gain even more children, and perhaps he could take the biggest prizes of them all. Shirahama Kenichi and Miu Fuurinji, both young people who were already able to touch the realms of _**Ki no Shouka**_. Not even Yomi could boast having a disciple capable of doing so.

As a tank faced the fleeing Shinpaku Alliance, Shigure took it upon herself to deal with the tank as she drew her sword.

"I'll handle this," stated Shigure, "Head to the harbor. Kenichi... you're in charge with Miu and Niijima. Tochumaru, follow them."

"Right," nodded Kenichi.

"This way!" shouted Niijima, pointing to an alleyway, "We can take this shortcut!"

"Oh, you sure she's going to be alright by herself?" shouted Tsuji as he followed along, "She only has a sword!"

"Trust me, that's all she needs," chuckled Niijima.

"It might even be overkill," giggled Miu.

* * *

In a mighty fortress, the commander of Fortuna's forces was grinning like a maniac. Countless computers surrounded the room, filled with operators guiding Fortuna's troops.

"Since code 'show time' has been announced, those invading forces don't stand a chance," sneered the commander, "Everything is going according to Fortuna-sama's plans! Not only will our reputation rise as we repel the Allied forces, but our weapons and stock will also rise!"

"Sir, a small group is holding their position!" exclaimed an operator.

"What!?" shouted the commander as he quickly rushed over to the computer, "Send out the choppers then! Use the tanks! Isn't our enemy just lightly equipped infantry?"

"It's no use sir, we can't stop them!" panicked the operator.

"Impossible! What weapons are they using!? Armor-piercing bullets? Rocket launchers?" shouted the commander.

"They... They are... They're using!"

 _In the slaugh... battlefield._

" _ **Fuurinji Human Shuriken!"**_ shouted the Elder as he began tossing enemy soldiers into others like a projectile. The Elder was using their own men as weapons, mostly to amuse himself. With the armor, he could throw them without much care, causing many to fall unconscious due to impact, or in the unwilling human projectile's case, nausea.

While the Elder was enjoying himself, the other male members of Ryozanpaku charged forward into the battlefield, easily dodging all the bullets flying their way. Despite all their weapons, armor, or vehicles, Fortuna's men were no match for Ryozanpaku. Not even a tank stopped them as the Elder managed to kick one up before completely flipping over a 70-ton tank. Apachai himself dismantled a helicopter. Yet despite all this violence, they took no lives, showing just how much control they had.

* * *

The rest of the teenagers had made it to the door leading to the harbor. Niijima looked around for a bit before smiling.

"You can come out now," declared Niijima.

Seconds later, the Pankration revealed themselves from the shadow, causing most of the members of the Shinpaku Alliance to assume fighting positions once more.

"What are you guys doing here?" shouted Matsui, "Here to stop us?"

"Or maybe they wanna make a name for themselves," grinned Takeda, giving his nice smile, glancing at his friends.

Despite standing and looking all right now, he could tell Miu and Kenichi were still recovering from their fight against Gorobe. Ukita was still out of commission, as he was laying on a bed that they had hijacked, as was Mizunami. Tsuji and the others were also recovering from their fight with the Elder. The only real people capable of fighting right now was Renka and himself.

"Hahaha, well done my children!" laughed out Fortuna as he himself appeared before them all, dropping from the roof, "There are no boats in the harbor but mine. So why not take my boat and become my children! Children of Fortuna!"

Fortuna then began a small rant about how the most powerful weapon was the human body before declaring them all to be his children, as they had the potential to become masters, which was the most valuable thing in this world, and everything valuable belonged to him. Matsui tried to attack Fortuna, only to be easily blown away with a puff of his breath.

"I'm not interested in little minions," scoffed Fortuna, "I want those with talents. I want... you, you, you, you, you, you, you, maybe you, ... and why not, I'll take you too! But I especially want you two!"

Fortuna had pointed to Takeda, Kisara, Freya, Thor, Tsuji, Siegfried, Renka, Ukita, Niijima, Miu and Kenichi in that specific order.

"The hell, you think we're some sort of bargain sale?" growled Tsuji.

"We'll use this opportunity to escape while my soldiers are busy occupying Ryozanpaku's time. Hop onto my cruise ship, my children! Spartacus, show them the way!"

"No."

Fortuna blinked as he turned to his eldest son just to see him glaring at Fortuna, with his brothers and sisters by his side.

"Now's not the time to be rebellious, be a good son and obey my order," ordered Fortuna, "I have plenty of love for you all. And if you're worried about being replaced... well it's true that Ryozanpaku's disciple will take on the mantle as leader of all my children, but you can be his second in command with your charisma. So come!"

"I said no," growled Spartacus, adopting a fighting pose as did his brothers and sisters, "No longer will we be under your thumb! No longer will I have to see my brothers and sisters die before my eyes for your own pleasure! Today is the day that we regain our freedom or die trying!"

Fortuna looked at Spartacus before taking a deep breath, his hand holding a phone before crushing it in anger.

"Impertinent brat! Who was it who fed you, clothed you, gave you all your basic necessities when you had none!?" shouted Fortuna, "I gave you life, and this is how you repay me?"

"Better to die than to live a life as your slave for your own amusement," snarked Iris.

"Hmph, then die to my Poppy Knuckle," snarled Fortuna as he raised his fist, "I have plenty others to replace you brats."

"Not if we defeat you first," stated Spartacus, "Fellow members of Ryozanpaku and Shinpaku Alliance, you must flee. My brethren will hold him off."

"Hmph, and leave you fellows alone? Not a chance," grinned Takeda as he walked next to Spartacus, his fists raised, "I haven't had a decent fight since I've gotten here. I'm itching to test my skills on another dude who's asking for a butt whooping."

"I'm not injured enough that I can't fight," groaned Kisara as she stepped forward, "I've been looking for a suitable punching bag to perfect what I just learned."

Freya, Thor, Siegfried, Tsuji, all stood up in unison, ready to fight too. Ukita tried to push himself up, only for Shiratori to push him back down on his bed.

"You're still seriously injured," said Shiratori, "You go out there, and you'll aggravate your wounds even more."

Kenichi and Miu had also been ready to join in the fight, only for Renka to push them away.

"You two already had too much excitement, fighting that master and coming out on top. You need your rest," said Renka sternly, "With all of us, we can handle this."

"Hmph, it doesn't matter how many you bring, you can't win against a master," taunted Fortuna.

"That's for us to decide," threatened Tsuji.

"We can't say that without even trying," shouted Thor, stomping his leg into the ground, "This is for all the fat men in the world!"

"Exactly!" sang Siegfried, "We will not cooperate with a soloist who is playing for his own greed. This is... the concert of friendship!"

As they all surrounded Fortuna, Fortuna himself looked around before noticing Niijima was missing.

"Everyone, be careful," shouted Niijima, who had somehow managed to climb up a wall to look at the situation from above, "Even if he doesn't seem like it, his skills and strength are most likely similar to Gorobe, perhaps a tiny bit lower! Use extreme caution!"

"Hoo, able to analyze and estimate my skills," noted Fortuna, "Certainly a diamond in the rough within all these gifted youngsters."

Fortuna noted an alert in his electronic goggles, notifying him that Sakaki was rushing his way towards him, destroying everything in his way.

"Shit, someone from Ryozanpaku's coming over," cursed Fortuna, "Fortunately, I hired a small group of elite master class martial artists! If I send them out, then perhaps even Ryozanpaku will fall!"

Unfortunately for him, when he gave the order and switched the camera over to his hired goons, he found them all unconscious, possibly dead, with Ma Sogetsu standing on top of them with a grin. Taking a sip of his wine, Sogetsu taunted Fortuna, saying he had been amused with the hired help, and that he had been debating whether or not to annihilate Fortuna himself. In the end, he decided to let someone else do it.

"Grr, and he was my most expensive one," growled Fortuna, "I never thought he would betray me!"

"Ma Sogetsu is just that kind of guy," said a voice from above.

Everyone looked up to see Hermit standing on top of a statue, looking down at the crowd.

"Hermit, you came back to help!" cried Matsui.

"Don't be mistaken," huffed Hermit, "I'm merely following orders. My master, Ma Sogetsu, thought just fighting the Chinese team wasn't enough as cannon fodder. So he's ordered me to fight a master class!"

"You're his disciple!?" growled Fortuna in anger, "Then die!"

Fortuna punched the statue, causing it to collapse. Hermit responded by jumping into the air and landing safely next to Renka.

"About time you showed up," huffed Renka, "You have to take responsibility for earlier!"

"Earlier?" questioned Hermit before turning away, "Whatever you've cooked up in your mind, we can talk later. I have an order to follow through, and I'm eager to do so!"

Fortuna frowned as he did a quick count. Including his ex-children, there were thirteen of them against himself. Fifteen if the two children he wanted to claim the most joined in. This was not good odds, if he had to admit. Luckily, he always had a back up plan.

"Do it," whispered Fortuna into his communicator.

* * *

From a distance, a sniper belonging to Fortuna's elite soldiers had his scope targeting Miu. In his hand was a sniper rifle loaded with tranquilizers, enough to knock out grown men. Even if it failed to knock them out, it would surely hinder them, long enough for Fortuna to deal with the rest. The sniper had several darts next to him, ready to shoot down all the children, as ordered.

As his fingers began to curl, his breathing halted for the perfect shot, the sniper noticed something wrong. There was a shadow covering his scope.

'Shit' cursed the sniper, thinking someone had snuck up on him. He quickly rolled away, bringing up his pistol to deal with the intruder. Such a fast reaction and reflex showed that this sniper was indeed one of the best.

However, his opponent was just too much for him... especially since that opponent was Saiga Fuurinji.

"Don't you dare touch them," snarled Saiga as he quickly crushed the gun with his bare hands and knocked out the sniper. He then went over to the sniper rifle and broke it in half with his knee.

Nobody, especially Fortuna, would be taking his daughter. He would only reveal himself if necessary, but for now, he would remain in the shadows.

As he looked into the distance, he frowned as he noticed someone coming close to the group. Saiga sat down, debating on whether to intervene before deciding to stick closer to the group, and intervene only if necessary. This fight would certainly help them all grow.

* * *

"You!"

Kenichi and Miu quickly turned around and frowned. Standing behind them all was Gorobe himself, his face and chest covered in bandages. He was certainly limping, but the two knew he was still very dangerous.

"I'll kill you brats!" shouted Gorobe as he prepared to massacre them.

"Gorobe," said Fortuna sternly, "Remember our deal. I convinced Diego to let me handle your punishment, and let you off gently. If not for me, you would be in a worse position, if not dead. I let you off despite not following the rules, because your fight showed me the two brightest gems within this tournament. Take them out, but don't kill or maim them beyond healing. I still want them as my collection."

"Fine, fine, but I expect money," growled Gorobe as he clenched his fists.

'Shit, this didn't happen last time!' thought the time travelers. Then again, they didn't have the Pankration team with them. At least they saved them from certain death from Sho, or so they thought. The reality of it was that none of them knew that in the past timeline, Sho had been the one to free them.

Niijima quickly analyzed the whole situation before barking off commands.

"Kenichi, Miu, Tsuji, Siegfried, Freya, deal with Gorobe. Kenichi, you're lead position and center. Miu and Siegfried, move to his sides. Tsuji, right wing, Freya left wing! Everyone else, on Fortuna! Pankration team, center line! Hermit, lead position, Renka cover his side! Takeda serve as left wing. Thor and Kisara, cover Pankration team sides!"

Each one of them quickly moved in position, ready to fight not only for their freedom but for their lives.

"Exhibitionist, boxer, give me a chance to approach that guy," whispered Hermit, "I've got a new move that I learned from Ma Sogetsu, and I plan on using it on this guy! It's his ultimate technique!"

The two nodded and quickly passed the message around.

Kenichi narrowed his eyes against his opponent, "If I can get a good chance to use _**Korui Nuki**_ , then he'll no longer be a threat. But I need a chance to do so."

"We'll get you that chance," said Takeda, "Just watch for it."

The two groups stared at their opponents for a few seconds before charging in.

* * *

 **Surprise! It's Gorobe once more, except this time he's taking it more seriously! I contemplated on the last part, and though having all Shinpaku Alliance and Pankration team vs Fortuna might be overkill, so I decided to chuck Gorobe back in. Not to mention, unlike the cannon, he hadn't been beaten the shit out of by the Elder.**


	19. Chapter 19

Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!

 **Sadly my beta's seemed to be busy, so this chapter might have some mistakes..**

* * *

The two groups calmly watched their opponents, ready to fight for their lives and freedoms. As a few tense seconds passed by, Gorobe and Fortuna charged at their opponents, knowing time was not their ally.

 _Fortuna Fight_

"Insolent children! Don't think disobedient children won't be punished!" scolded Fortuna as he wound his fist up, "I'll kill you first, Spartacus, then the others will fall in line!"

Fortuna moved too fast for Spartacus to try to dodge, but he had never planned on dodging in the first place.

Spartacus planted his feet into the ground, his arms up, ready to receive the punch. If he could hold the punch for even a second, then it would be worth his life!

"Don't be so willing to throw your life away!" shouted Thor as he stomped forward, "Live! For all the fat people in the world!"

Spartacus didn't exactly understand what Thor was saying, but he understood enough that Thor wanted to help tank the hit.

" _ **Poppy Knuckle!"**_ roared Fortuna as he threw a punch right at Spartacus.

This punch would've crushed both Spartacus and Thor's insides if landed properly, even with their training. However, just before the punch landed, Fortuna felt a sharp jab in his bicep, piercing right at a nerve spot.

Fortuna's punch suddenly declined in power and speed, thus lacking the requirements to smash Thor and Spartacus. However, it was still powerful enough to have both of them cough up blood upon impact. Still, Thor and Spartacus latched onto fist, grabbing it in hopes of keeping Fortuna in place.

"Halt his movements!" ordered Spartacus.

Alec and Octavia latched onto one of Fortuna's leg while Crixus and Iris latched onto the other one, trying desperately to pull him down.

"I got him!" hissed Kisara as she jumped up to deliver a sweeping kick.

Fortuna tilted his head away before suddenly catching Kisara's leg in between his head and shoulder. Unfortunately, while swinging his head, he ran in headfirst right into Takeda's _**Neko Megaru Punch**_. Unable to keep a tight grip onto the leg, Fortuna let go it, allowing Kisara to land safely.

Fortuna shook his head, fighting off that concussion that he had been given. He also mentally notched Takeda up higher on the list, as that punch had certainly hurt. Just as his vision cleared up, Hermit was already in front of him.

"Eat this! A move I learned directly from Ma Sogetsu!" roared out Hermit as he slammed two loosely penetrating thrusts into Fortuna's sides. His third hit slammed right in the center of Fortuna's stomach.

 _ **Kyousa**_

Right as he finished, Renka jumped off Hermit's shoulder.

 _ **Senkyuu**_

Renka sent a flying kick right into Fortuna's face, reeling his head back.

"Enough!" roared Fortuna as he lifted his left hand up and slammed a punch right into the ground in front of him.

The impact sent Renka and Hermit back while loosening the grips of the Pankration team. Without hesitation, Fortuna ripped the disobedient brats off his legs and hurled them into the floor hard.

"Everyone!" shouted out Spartacus as he saw his brothers and sisters on the floor, coughing out blood, "I'll kill you Fortuna!"

"Not if I do so first," growled Fortuna as he took out a mouse-sized spear out of his bicep, glaring at Tochumaru. He knew full well just who had intervened.

"This is what I do with disobedient brats! You will all learn from this death!" shouted Fortuna as he raised his right hand, intending to smash down the rushing Spartacus.

Suddenly, Fortuna froze for a bit, unable to move. Seconds later, Spartacus's shoulder charged right into Fortuna's stomach just as Fortuna spat out blood from the damage Hermit had caused.

"How!?" wheezed Fortuna as he stumbled backward, glaring at Hermit, "How could this attack have affected me? Unless...is this?"

"The principle of Gamma Knife," nodded Hermit, finishing up Fortuna's thoughts.

Niijima gave a quick and simple explanation of how a Gamma Knife worked while Siegfried summarized it.

"Mine!" shouted Fortuna in desperation as he lunged at Kisara, who nimbly dodged his grab before kicking his chin with a backflip.

"Everyone attack now!" shouted Takeda, "Now's our chance!"

Everyone roared as they charged in, eager to finish the fight.

"Iris, Octavia, aim for his upper body!" commanded Spartacus as his fellow brothers and sisters got up.

"Roger!" shouted the girls while Crixus and Alec launched them up.

"We'll go for that too!" shouted Renka towards Kisara, who nodded in reply before jumping up with her.

Fortuna was met with a barrage of attacks, all landing home. He couldn't move his body like he wanted as the damage done by Hermit and Renka was too much. Then Takeda began punching his liver, causing his breath to shorten while also making it difficult to breathe. He saw Spartacus, Alex, and Crixus landing any punches they could with much glee on their face. Then he couldn't really see any of them due to the fact the girls were now attacking his face, blocking his vision. He felt someone bear hugging his legs, locking them up so he couldn't even move. Soon enough, his knees buckled as he fell down into the ground, his knees and hands being the only limbs supporting him.

"How?" coughed Fortuna, "Why?"

"Falala! You merely added our strengths together and thought you would win when the reality is that our combined strength is not merely the added together, but rather 10 or even 100 time more than its sum!" sang Siegfried.

"No... I was so close... to having the... ultimate property," whispered Fortuna, raising his hands towards the other group, specifically Kenichi.

"Oh that's enough out of you!" growled Kisara before dashing towards Fortuna. She spun right before she reached him and smashed a spinning heel kick right into Fortuna's face, destroying the goggles he had on his head while knocking him unconscious.

* * *

 _Gorobe Fight_

"We'll move when you do," said Freya as she positioned her staff in front of her.

Everyone knew she was referring Kenichi and Miu, as they were the only ones that could really deal with Gorobe.

Kenichi nodded as he closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. Gorobe shifted his foot, thinking he could take this chance to attack when Kenichi's eyes snapped open again, this time glowing with Ki. _**Ryusui Seikuken**_ along with _**Ki no Shouka**_ had been released, causing Gorobe to pause. Miu's eyes began to glow with Ki, except she was using _**Ki no Kaiho**_. Despite having touched the realms of _**Shouka**_ , she was not experienced enough to use knead the necessary Ki for it.

Gorobe growled as his attention was solely focused on the two threats. He had lost to them once already, he sure as hell wasn't going to let that happen again. Gorobe's vision soon narrowed right at the two that was the biggest threat, ignoring all the small threats that wouldn't dare move unless these two did.

Or at least, that's what common sense would dictate on normal people.

"I got him!" shouted Tsuji, shocking Gorobe back to noticing his surroundings.

Gorobe quickly dodged a palm strike heading for his head and was about to retaliate by kicking Tsuji in the chest, possibly caving it in when Miu was already instantly in his face.

'Fast!' thought Gorobe as he abandoned that attack and dodge the arc kick to his face by ducking. As Miu landed behind Gorobe, Gorobe whirled around to deal with Miu when he barely noticed and dodged Kenichi's hook.

Gorobe growled as he now had to split hi attention between the two, dividing the center of his body to deal with both opponents. On the right side, he had to fend off Kenichi's attacks. On the left side was Miu. And unlike the Elder, he was unable to divide his body perfectly and control each hemisphere independent of their own actions.

'Damn these brats!' Gorobe mentally shouted as Kenichi began to invade into his territory, taking ground little by little. Kenichi would always already be slightly ahead of him when it came to foot placement, causing Gorobe to always be off-balance. Gorobe tried to shove Kenichi down when their thighs met, but to Gorobe, Kenichi was a firm tree with strong roots into the ground. He was a pillar that Gorobe could not knock down easily.

It also didn't help that Freya, Tsuji, and Siegfried were taking potshots at him, forcing him to be on the defensive in fear that if one attack hit, it would open him up to more hits from Kenichi and Miu. It also annoyed him that any time he tried to attack them, Miu or Kenichi would intervene either by pulling their friend away from danger or even parrying his attacks away from them so that it would miss.

Gorobe tried to knee Siegfried in the chest with his right leg, only for Kenichi to suddenly push his right leg while Miu pulled on his left leg, causing him to misfire. His knee ended up hitting Siegfried's shoulder, who rolled along with it with a spin. Gorobe suddenly found Siegfried clinging onto his back, who used the momentum from his spin to knee him in the back

" _ **Meikai no Watlz!"**_ sang Siegfried as he planted a double knee strike into Gorobe's back.

Gorobe flinched as he felt the impact up his spine and quickly rolled away for safety and to get Siegfried off his back. As soon as he felt Siegfried let go, he immediately turned to deal with him.

Then he felt a pole smashing into his face.

 _ **Kugatachi Ryuu Gokui, Final Move: Sen Un**_

Freya had done a front flip in midair with her jo staff bent backward before releasing it from her back to add to her momentum and slam it into Gorobe's face.

Gorobe stumbled back when Tsuji was already near his chest. Gorobe quickly tried to clinch Tsuji, but his arms were grabbed by Miu and Kenichi respectively, both twisting his wrist to ensure he didn't escape.

 _ **Koppou no Tsubusu**_

Tsuji smashed a palm strike right into Gorobe's sternum, aggravating the injury Gorobe already had from Miu.

"I'll kill you!" roared Gorobe as he managed to kick Tsuji away, despite him putting his arms up.

Tsuji winced as he swore he could hear some of the bones in his forearms crack, threatening to fracture. Gorobe managed to free himself from the two-time traveler's grasps and whirled around to deal with Miu, thinking she was the bigger threat. After all, she was the one who had dealt the finishing blow that knocked him out despite the Kenichi had that monstrous Ki control.

"You first!" Gorobe howled as he aimed a punch at Miu when he noticed Kenichi trying to knee him. Gorobe barely caught wind of Kenichi's attack, barely blocking it as it was in his blind spot.

'I can just push it off,' thought Gorobe before noticing something horrifyingly wrong. Kenichi was breaking through that guard with ease, his knee attack changing into a vertical kick. Not only that, but Gorobe noticed the Sei Ki that Kenichi had been projecting suddenly turned to Dou Ki when he wasn't looking.

'Shit, he can use both Ki types!?' whimpered Gorobe, realizing the real threat he should've focused on was Kenichi. He had been too focused on who dealt the finishing blow, forgetting the Kenichi had managed to not only fend him off by himself but even counterattacked.

 _ **Fuurinji-ryu Kai! Korui Dou Nuki!**_

Kenichi had revised the move so it would include the explosive force of Dou Ki into the attack, sending Gorobe flying away while knocking him unconscious, fracturing if not breaking the rib cage.

Kenichi took a deep breath before collapsing onto the floor, coughing out blood.

"Kenichi!" cried out Miu as she quickly kneeled down to help, "Are you alright?"

"Yea, dealing with the backlash of switching Ki," coughed Kenichi, trying to calm his body down with a deep breath, "No wonder _**Seidou Gouitsu**_ was so destructive on the body. My transition from one Ki to another wasn't smooth and caused conflict within my body."

"Why would you do that?" scolded Miu.

"I needed to end this fight and make sure that he wouldn't get up again," breathed out Kenichi, "That seemed to be the only way to ensure our win."

"Well don't be too rash," frowned Miu, "Remember, Sakaki was already rushing over here. We could've just played the delay game against Gorobe."

"Ah... I forgot about that," admitted Kenichi with a blush.

"Who cares, we just beat the Master Class!" cheered Tsuji before looking at the other group, "Hey, looks like they did too!"

* * *

While the Shinpaku Alliance began to celebrate their victory, the Pankration team could only look at their own hands.

"Finally," whispered Spartacus, "After all these years... We are... free."

"Now that we're free... where will we go?" asked Iris.

"Err... leader, you did put some thought into that, right?" asked Crixus.

"... I'm embarrassed to say I haven't," blushed Spartacus, "But I'm sure we'll find something."

"If you don't have anything planned for the future yet, might I make a suggestion?" whispered Niijima.

The Pankration team turned to Niijima, who was smiling at them. They couldn't help but feel a chill down their spine, and despite knowing the sweet laden promises that surely had poison in them, they were lured in and baited. They never stood a chance against Niijima's Mass Brainwashing technique.

With the defeat of Gorobe and Fortuna, they were all quite safe now. Especially when Shigure brought a tank she had affectionately named Cattleya. A few soldiers tried to desperately kill her to rescue Fortuna, but she easily cut through armor, guns, and even bullets with ease before knocking them out. As soon as Shigure arrived, Hermit immediately vanished while everyone was distracted.

"Dang it, he was supposed to stay and take responsibility!" huffed Renka.

"Again with that?" sighed Miu dryly.

"No, he made me do something unforgivable! Something new!" pouted Renka.

That caught Miu's curiosity, but before she could ask, Jenny had arrived with a heavy machine gun, demanding to know where Fortuna was, ready to kill him. When she discovered that Fortuna had been beaten up by a bunch of kids, more so by his own children, she couldn't help but laugh, knowing Fortuna could no longer escape.

The rest of Ryozanpaku arrived at the docks after making sure that the rest of Fortuna's forces wouldn't be a threat. That included infiltrating the main fortress and forcing Fortuna's commander to surrender, to which he did after babbling how it should have been impossible to penetrate. Their scenario clearly did not include Apachai chucking Kensei into the fortress from above.

Soon, the Shinpaku Alliance was back in Ryozanpaku's boat while the Pankration team said their farewells to the others, as they would be helping Jennifer thoroughly dismantling Fortuna's empire.

"I can not thank you enough for this chance of freedom," stated Spartacus, shaking hands with Niijima, "Once my brothers and sisters have finished with this job, you can be sure we will aid you in any way we can."

"You have my number," grinned Niijima.

'And you'll be my ticket into expanding into the European countries!' added Niijima in an afterthought.

As Sakaki was getting ready to leave, he felt a tug on his jacket. Turning back, he found himself facing Jennifer once more.

"What is it Jenny?" asked Sakaki in slight confusion.

Jennifer motioned Sakaki to lean down, putting her hand up and cupping it over her mouth, as if to whisper to his ear. Sakaki naively obeyed, thinking she wanted to say something. In the old timeline, Jennifer had let go of Sakaki... so to speak. She knew she couldn't keep him chained down. In this timeline though, where she had gotten 'proof' that Sakaki was dating Shigure, she did something drastically different.

Instead, Jennifer quickly wrapped her hands around Sakaki's head, straightened it out, and planted a big kiss right into Sakaki's lips.

Choju Giga monkeys swung around the background as everyone stared at the scene in shock with jaws dropping. Miu couldn't resist, raising her hand to her chest with her fingers forming a triangle with a heart suddenly appearing within the said triangle.

"There, now we're even," declared Jennifer as she finally let go. Sakaki obviously could have broken out of the embrace, but he had been too shocked by Jennifer's daring kiss to even move.

Jennifer walked up to Shigure with a bit of swagger in her hips, stopping in front of her.

"There, what do you have to say now?" asked Jennifer with a smirk. Shigure truly had no clue what to really say or do. Not because she was embarrassed or angry, but just plain confused at Jennifer's actions. She wasn't able to read the social cues that were coming out from Jennifer's body language.

So Shigure began to think for a bit. She was interested in seeing what it would be like to be in a relationship as she saw Kenichi and Miu were happy. Out of all the males she knew, which were very few, only Sakaki was the one who stood out, and that was mainly because he took her on a 'date'. She knew not of internet dating or blind dates and had no other female friends to hook her up. Shigure did not want to get in Jennifer's way either, but nor did she really feel like just moving.

Then she remembered reading one of Kensei's book that he left laying out, recalling two girls hugging one guy, who had his arms around both of them.

"Share then?" asked Shigure bluntly.

"EHHHHHH!?" shouted all of the audience, including the swinging Choju Giga monkeys.

"S..s..s..s.. ?" whispered Jennifer in shock while looking up and down at Shigure.

'Is she bisexual?' thought Jennifer, 'Is that why she's willing to share? Is she checking me out? I can't tell with her face so expressionless, nor does anything in her body language give anything away? I mean sure, she has a cute face, those nice legs without any blemish, those seductive hips, those huge, most likely very firm and soft breasts... wait why am I checking her out? Am I bisexual for contemplating these thoughts and thinking about agreeing to it?'

While Jennifer was having a bit of a crisis in her mind, Akisame slowly turned towards Shigure with a stony face, his hands already crackling slowly towards Sakaki.

"Shigure, where did you get such an idea?" Akisame asked frostily.

"Kensei's... books," said Shigure, both saving Sakaki for a bit while dooming Kensei.

"KENSEIII!" roared Akisame as he charged towards his target.

"Wait, nononono how is this my fault?" wailed Kensei as he began to flee.

"I've told you not to lay those books around the house!" hollered Akisame, "It's very impressionable to the younger generation, especially to girls! Miu may have come out alright, but you know Shigure's mental and physical state doesn't match! Now take your punishment!"

While Akisame was chasing Kensei, Miu had snuck up next to Kenichi while pinching his hand.

"Don't even think about having such ideas," whispered Miu.

"Trust me, you're all I want and need," replied Kenichi.

"Good boy," smiled Miu.

Meanwhile, Shiratori was contemplating on the idea of whether Kisara would be up to having the same idea as Shigure.

After all that chasing, everyone was ready to depart for home again.

* * *

In a dark room, all of the Nine Shadow One Fist were standing there in person, a very rare occurrence to ever happen in Yami.

"Report," boomed One Shadow's voice, who was Senzui currently disguised as Saiga.

In front of them were the Yomi members who had attended the DFOD, all kneeling in respect. Well, most were, as Ryuto was unable to do so for the while. On the side standing in attendance were Satomi with his two female bodyguards/friends and Chou Enshin. The two females, Natsuki and Hatsuki, were rumored to be twins, though their body structure seemed to speak out against that as Hatsuki had a more slender and petite build while Hatsuki was much more curvaceous, her bust clearly bigger than her sister to the fact that it almost matched Miu's. It wasn't difficult to tell the two apart because of that, otherwise, their facial and hair structure looked identical.

"We witnessed Ryozanpaku's disciple Shirahama Kenichi fight in the tournament, observing his movements. As ordered by our masters, we," started Sho before pointing to himself, Tirawit, Chikage, Ryuto, and Rimi, "Did not participate in the tournament. Ethan and Rachel were unable to fight Kenichi due to the sudden raid."

Akira Hongo nodded, secretly pleased that his disciple could actually follow orders. He was sure that Sho would've gone into the tournament and take one of the team's placement just to fight if he had not given expressed orders.

"And?" asked Senzui, "From Ogata's report from the first time encountering Ryozanpaku's disciple, he rated that it would take several of Yami's members to match him. In your opinion, how would you rate this Shirahama Kenichi and his skills?"

Sho suddenly looked uncomfortable as this question, which was noticed by all of them. Boris, Ethan, Rachel, Chikage, and Tirawit couldn't help but express pity at Sho's current situation.

"He's... strong?" said Sho.

Hongo raised his eyebrows as he pushed his sunglasses up, even though they were in a dark room with barely any light. Why he wore sunglasses indoors was a mystery, but that wasn't the topic.

"Sho. If you were to fight Shirahama Kenichi at your current state, would you win?" asked Hongo directly.

Sho's eyes swiveled to his master, who was giving him a firm but gentle gesture to have Sho speak his mind without reprimand.

"If Shirahama Kenichi and I, Kano Sho, the current leader of Yomi and disciple to all 10 masters of Yami, the primary disciple of Akira Hongo, known as God Hand, were to fight at 100% of our abilities... I would most likely lose," conceded Sho.

That caused a slight uproar to everyone in the One Shadow Nine Fist, excluding Ogata, Diego, and Jenazad. Satomi and the others in observation also looked at Sho in surprise at that statement. There was no doubt in their mind that Sho was somewhat cocky. He hated to lose or admit defeat. Though he definitely had the skills to back up all his talk. Sho was from the Kuremisago village, the same as the twins and Senzui, and was regarded as one of the strongest in Yami.

Even Hongo looked at Sho with concern in his eyes. He knew his disciple well, and the fact that Sho actually admitted to all of them that he would lose was a rather big step in humility. He was also curious if his rival Sakaki had somehow trained a monster.

"As I thought, we should have chosen my disciple to be the leader of Yami and inherit our skills," declared Mikumo Kushinada, "You're not fit to be a master, God Hand."

"The emotionless fist is the basic principle of Yami," lectured Cyril Rahman, "To withdraw your fist before even attempting to fight to observe your enemies is quite concerning. Even my disciple had to be ordered to retreat, though I don't know why Diego didn't let my disciple go at it. To think this is the one who would inherit..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but it was a sentiment that was shared among most of them. Sho could only clench his fist at this jab but kept silent.

"Now now, people let's stop this internal fighting," pacified Alexander, "We shouldn't judge someone this harshly. Not when we've yet to hear what the rest of the disciples have to say."

"Kekeke, internal fight?" giggled Jenazad while munching on some grapes, "Each one of us believes that our sole martial arts is the strongest! Gathering together was a mere solution to avoid fighting each other. We've never had such comradeship in the first place! But I do disagree with the old hag and beard about their words."

Kushinada and Cyril glared at Jenazad for such words, but also in confusion why he would say such a thing. The fact that he was defending Sho when he personally had a hand in his own disciple's death (or so they believed) was surprising.

Agaard Jum Sai shrugged, "That's true. Even if it was my disciple that was to inherit us all, I wouldn't want him to learn any martial arts than my own. I want to prove that Muay Thai is the strongest there is!"

"Now now, let's get back to our original topic," placated Ogata, "I do believe we agreed to have all the disciples give their own analysis."

"Hmph, Sho's judgement must be colored by your teachings," harrumphed Kushinada.

"Well, then let's hear it then," stated Agaard before turning to his disciple, "Kokin, give me your honest judgment. What are your chances?"

Tirawit couldn't help but shake very slightly now that all the attention was on him now. Giving himself a few seconds to calm down, Tirawit began to speak.

"If I was to fight with the same conditions as Suparana had listed, then it would be 90%..."

"Ha, see, my disciple says he can deal with it," grinned Agaard as he turned to face them.

"... of me losing without landing any crippling or life-threatening damage," admitted Tirawit, interrupting his master's boast, who stopped with his jaw still open.

"Two of them?" questioned Jisei Ro, "I believe we should heed Ogata's words and have them all talk before passing judgment."

"Boris, report, full disclosure," ordered Alexander.

"Mission would end in failure," replied Boris succinctly.

"Chikage?" asked Kushinada, looking to her disciple/adopted daughter.

Chikage fell silent for a bit before answering, "... very low chance of winning."

"Shishy?" asked Cyril, turning to his disciple Ethan, using the Hindi word for disciple.

"... I would risk my life to bring more information for future victories," intoned Ethan, not denying he would most likely lose."

"How is this possible?" asked a puzzled Jisei, slightly turning his head towards his own disciple to hear his own reaction.

Chou Enshin had a visible sneer on his face, judging all his fellow disciples in Yomi as below him as they admitted to being weaker without even fighting. Satomi seemed intrigued by this turn of events and was withholding judgment for now.

"It's not surprising really," laughed Diego, drawing their attention once more, "After watching Ryozanpaku's disciple fight, I can't help but admit Ogata was right about his analysis. No offense Castor, but you aren't ready for that fight."

"Si Maestro," nodded Rachel.

"Kekeke, it's not surprising that our apprentices aren't confident in defeating this Shirahama Kenichi. I don't think anyone in Yomi is," laughed Jenazad, "If only I found him first. He truly would have been a work of art."

"I think anyone who found him would have certainly changed the world of martial arts," stated Ogata dryly.

Now the others of the One Fist Nine Shadows were very confused at what was going on. Why were they not concerned that their disciples admitted to not being a match against Shirahama Kenichi?

"I think it's time we let them know," laughed Diego, "Otherwise they'll be going around in circles. Is this why you didn't want to tell the others Sage Fist? In hopes of grabbing him first?"

"Perhaps," acknowledged Ogata, "So who should spill the news?"

"I can!" proclaimed Diego, "For you see, Shirahama Kenichi-"

"Can already use _**Ki no Shouka**_ ," interrupted Jenazad.

"Don't ruin my fun Demon God Fist!" shouted Diego, "But yes, Ryozanpaku's strongest disciple is already capable of utilizing _**Ki no Shouka**_."

Shouts of disbelief and outrage could be heard coming from the other masters before Senzui slammed his hand onto his knee to silence them all.

"Are you telling us that Ryozanpaku's disciple is already capable of utilizing Ki that only masters are capable of?" asked Senzui with a note of interest in his tone.

"Well yeah," nodded Diego, "I swear by my Laughing Fist that he is capable of using such Ki quite proficiently. In fact, some of us could use a few pointers from him."

Many twitched in indignation at that suggestion but kept quiet.

"How is this possible?" asked Kushinada, "Is it possible that this Shirahama Kenichi is not of the age he says he is? Could his information be false to lure us into a false sense of security?"

Kushinada didn't think that Ryozanpaku would do such a thing, of course, but it was something to consider. A teenager being able to use _**Ki no Shouka**_ , and apparently very proficiently, was very unlikely. A more plausible reason would be that Kenichi looked young but was actually an adult, somewhere in his late twenties perhaps. After all, she was somewhat the same. Though she would never tell anyone her true age, it was easy to guess she was much older than she looked, as she had lived through World War 2, working with Hayato Furiniji to stop the previous Setting Sun. Not she would tell anyone her age, as that would be rude. Nobody knew just how close her guess was to the truth.

"Now now, age may be a factor, but don't forget that there have been instances where some people became masters at a young age. One example would be Mayu Tanaka from _**Tenchi Mushin Ryu**_ , who ascended to the master class at the tender age of 18," criticized Ogata.

Diego tsked at her before replying, "Don't insult me. I always double-check to make sure my contestants are of legal age. I check my contestants multiple times to make sure my information is correct."

'And yet you let three masters into the tournament,' thought out the Yomi members, though not voicing their thought.

"After he showed that ability, I had my intelligence team triple-check to make sure Shirahama wasn't a hidden master who was over 20. All paperwork, trails, everything leads up to the fact that Shirahama Kenichi is indeed only 16 years old, his birthday on October 12th. There's even documentation of his birth on that specific date, taken by his father who was apparently crying in with tears of joy as he recorded it. I followed up on his family tree and found no notable names relating to martial arts at all. Plus, even with his control, I'd still place him in the Expert category. His body hasn't hit it's prime yet, after all."

"A genius then," hypothesized Alexander.

"I'd say more than that, perhaps a blessed prodigy that comes only once every thousand years," mused Cyril.

"Indeed," nodded Ogata, "My disciple, Ryuto, was in an unfortunate accident while testing out a new move against Ryozanpaku's disciple. The backlash of the technique if not properly contained and used involves a ravaged Ki network and potential permanent damages to the body, including permanent paralysis of legs. However, despite misusing this technique, Kenichi was able to not only defeat him but at the same time, balance his Ki network so as to mitigate the damage. Someone who foolishly believes in Katsujinken."

"He's certainly been dyed in white," cackled Jenazad, "But that makes it all so much easy to dye him in red if given the chance."

Hongo frowned at that statement but said nothing.

"So what should we do then?" asked Agaard, "If nothing else, I've got some better things to do than just chatter. Kokin, looks like you got some catching up to do, but I'll be damned if I let Apachai's student get so far ahead of you."

"Yes Khru," acknowledged Tirawit.

Senzui took this time to meditate on the situation. The fact that someone at the age of 16 was able to use _**Ki no Shouka**_ was indeed surprising, but it was shocking to find that Kenichi had no trace of martial arts ancestry within his family. He suspected a hidden family from the Kuremisago but dismissed that. All members of the clan were carefully monitored, and anyone outside of it was already dead, with the exception of Miu.

"Diego, distribute the videos of the fight to all of us," ordered Senzui, "I wish to analyze this footage myself."

"Alright, can do!" grinned Diego, "I'll even throw in a free music video with it!"

The others internally groaned at that, but all were interested in the video.

"Oh, and I forgot to mention, Shirahama Kenichi wasn't the only one to use _**Ki no Shouka.**_ His fellow disciple mate, Furinji Miu, also ascended to it too," added Diego.

That caught Senzui's attention. How could it not? Miu was the child of the friend and woman that he loved. The one that he had spared because he couldn't kill her. The silver lining in this was that they had someone who as descended from the Kuremisago clan that could show the world how strong they still were.

"Another child? Ryozanpaku's training must be quite something," chuckled Hongo, "If we have nothing else to discuss, I will take my leave. Sho, we have work to do."

"Yes sir!" grinned Sho.

"Two disciples most likely stronger than ours," hummed Alexander, "Ryozanpaku certainly have hidden their fangs well. One false move and it could set us all back."

"I will meditate on this more," declared Senzui, "We will convene once more when a decision has been made. I want our spy network to get more information about these two disciples. Dismissed!"

As one, each one of them began to leave, each disciple leaving with their respective master. As Cho passed by Sho, he whispered, "Coward."

Sho resisted the urge to pummel Cho, choosing to catch up to his master instead.

Satomi chose to remain behind as he had some thoughts to air out later. As he mused on about Kenichi, his fists tightened in slight anger. He had worked his ass to get to where he was! And now, his opponent/enemy of Satsujinken was apparently a prodigy like no other.

'I'll show him,' hissed Satomi to himself, 'That even with all that talent, he'll still fall by my hands, he who never understood how much pain and suffering I went through to get to where I am!"

Satomi had no idea how wrong he truly was about that statement.

* * *

 _Few days later_

The Shinpaku Alliance had come back from a dangerous tournament only to find themselves in another dangerous situation. This one, however, snuck upon them! Well, it snuck up on a few despite knowing the fact it was coming. This was one situation that despite all their physical prowess and abilities, they could not escape from this net. Takeda, Ukita, and Tsuji were in the most danger out of all of them.

For you see!... Exam week at Koryo High School was coming soon.

" #$# #$%^%$# $%!" cursed Takeda as he tried to solve a math problem from review notes that he borrowed from a classmate.

They were all coming close to the end of the third semester, as it was already March. Ukita could be found with Takeda, both of which were desperately trying shore up their academics. Tsuji was in a worse situation, having basically ditched school right before the first semester had even ended. He took one look at the review notes and tossed them, stating that he didn't need academics. It was painfully obvious that he had no idea how to do half the problems listed.

Truth be told, Ukita and Takeda had thought about winging the exams without studying. If they failed... well it just meant another year in Koryo High. Surprisingly, their parents seemed to not really care about their grades. Most likely because they had given up on trying to tame their ex-delinquent sons. However, it had been Ukita who started to desperately study to pass his classes as soon as they got back from Fortuna's island.

The reason for this was because his master, Taiki, had ordered him to study and pass his classes. Taiki did not want his own son thinking that because Ukita didn't pass that it was ok for him to slack off in his own classes. Not only that, but Taiki did want Ukita to be more than a martial artist and have more opportunities. Seeing Ukita study, Takeda couldn't help but be dragged into his pace.

It wasn't just them, though. Each member of the Shinpaku Alliance who had attended the DFOD were all studying for their finals.

"Hey, how come you two aren't studying?" whined Kisara as she looked up from her book while petting a kitten that Siegfried had brought for her.

"We took the exam early, before the DFOD," smiled Miu as she clasped hands with Kenichi, getting ready to leave their base, "Both of us got our results back already and passed with straight As. We're going to celebrate."

Most of the members grumbled at this, but continued to focus on studying.

"So where do you want to go?" asked Kenichi as they left the base.

"Mmmm," hummed Miu, "I know! There's one place I didn't get to really explore too much back in our last timeline."

"Where is that?" asked Kenichi curiously.

"To the village where the Kuremisago once resided. To the uninhabited land that once belonged to my mother."

* * *

"Kaede, I'm home!" shouted Natsu as he returned to his mansion. He had managed to return home from Fortuna's island by having his master commandeer a boat so he could drive them back.

"Onii-chan, welcome back!" curtsied Kaede before tackling Natsu in the stomach for a hug.

Natsu easily took the tackle with a smile, putting his hand on her back before lifting her up to his eye level.

"Were you a good girl? And did you eat enough at the Shirahama household? Did the _**Zanshin Taisha-ryuu**_ do their job correctly?"

"Yes to all," smiled Kaede, "Did you have fun on your trip? Did you get me anything?"

"Well I found someone," smirked Natsu as he gestured to the door with his head.

Kaede leaned over her brother's shoulder to see Ma Sogetsu waltzing in the room while drinking from his usual flask once more.

"Uncle Big Ma!" exclaimed Kaede with a smile.

"There's the other brat," grunted Sogetsu, though with no real harshness in tone. Instead, he ruffled Kaede's head before kicking back onto a coach.

Natsu gently put Kaede down, who immediately went to Sogetsu, pulling out a Mah Jong set from who knows where.

"Are you ready to admit complete defeat?" grinned Kaede as she opened the box, "I'll have my 100th continuous win streak from you in this game!"

"Brat, you've only won 98 times! Don't think I'll hold back now!" shouted Sogetsu in reflex before blinking for a second, his eyes nervously snapping to Natsu, "But first, there are a few techniques I have to teach your brother as well as check for damages."

Natsu snorted and was about to reply that the training would have to wait due to the fact he had to check over the budget for the company, study for his exams, and write a check to the _**Zanshin Taisha-ryuu**_ as well as get a full report from them when the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" muttered Natsu as Kaede quickly trotted over to the door, using the camera system to check who was outside.

The door could be heard opening, and a few seconds later, Renka came charging in.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" shouted Natsu, "And how the hell do you know where I live?"

"Looking for you and Kaede showed me where before," replied Renka before noticing Ma Sogetsu on the coach.

"You!" growled Renka.

"Me," replied Sogetsu with a dull tone, "What, you going to try to beat me again after what happened last time?"

"Maybe next time, but I have more important things on hand than dealing with a bad seed of an uncle," snorted Renka, dismissing Sogetsu for now.

Sogetsu blinked in surprise at this dismissal and felt a bit angry at being dismissed so nonchalantly. What happened next made him grin and relax back onto the couch once more.

"Help me study for the exams!" begged Renka, pulling out books from between her chest. Natsu blinked at the sudden stack of books that she had pulled out, puzzled where the hell she managed to fit them but dismissed it for a rather more important subject.

"Why the hell should I help you!?" shouted Natsu.

"You're smart," whined Renka, "You know this stuff better than I do. It would do wonders for your nice guy persona that you put in school."

"How the hell does me tutoring you help with my mask at school?" argued Natsu, "You're wasting my valuable time right now, too!"

The two began to argue back and forth, much to Sogetsu's amusement as he watched this …... romance drama while sipping his drink. He was having too much fun to intervene.

As Natsu was beginning to push Renka towards the door, Kaede entered the room carrying a tray of mixed fruits and a tea set with peppermint tea already prepared and boiled to perfection.

"Indeed, studying is important," smiled Kaede as she almost shoved the tray into Natsu's hand, who was looking confused, "It's also a good friend's prerogative to help those in need. You don't have enough friends that you can afford to burn bridges so easily. Doing this will help you connect with more people once they hear how good you are at tutoring. Now go to your study room and help Renka out! It'll also be a good review for you, too."

Kaede then began pushing the two towards Natsu's study room, much to both of their confusion as they were urged inside. None of them had any power to argue physically or socially before they were already inside the study room, with Kaede shutting the door behind them.

"So... that happened," blinked Renka as Natsu stared at the door, still holding the tray of snacks.

Natsu shook his head to break out of his shock before placing the tray onto the table. With a huff, he placed a chair on the opposite side of his desk before sitting down at his usual seat.

"Don't you need help? How am I supposed to help you if you don't sit down and tell me what you need help with?" asked Natsu, seeing Renka still standing there.

"Oh, right!" blushed Renka as she quickly sat down, "I need help with math..."

* * *

Sogetsu blinked as he saw Kaede returning to the room, plopping down in front of him with the Mah Jong set ready.

"So... what's that all about?" asked Sogetsu curiously.

"Hm?" replied Kaede.

"Don't 'hmm' me brat. I know you're a lot more cunning than you let anyone now," chuckled Sogetsu, "What's your plan here?"

"I've already stated it," smiled Kaede as she began shuffling the Mah Jong set.

"There's more than that that you didn't mention," pointed out Sogetsu.

Kaede smirked, "Well, this event might bring them closer to each other. I'm not lying that I do want them to get together. Renka is unlike all those other girls who fawn over my brother during his business parties that are sent by other families, trying to get their hands on the corporation. She won't bend over to my brother's whim, nor will she try to seduce him to get him to give up his power. With her, she'll be the perfect deterrent against all those other gold-diggers. Not to mention she can easily defend herself if they try to hurt her. And in the event they somehow do hurt her... well her father isn't someone you want to mess with."

"Hmph," mused Sogetsu, though quite impressed with Kaede's plan.

"Then there's the family connection of course. If she does marry him, then you'll really be my Uncle by law," smiled Kaede.

Sogetsu froze at that sentence, his mind racing through that statement. He was Ma Kensei's older brother, therefore Renka's uncle. If Renka married Natsu, then...

"That, of course, means that I can tortu... play more Mah Jong with you," finished Kaede.

'Shit she's right,' thought Sogetsu, realizing that Kaede was far more cunning than he thought. Did he mind becoming her uncle? Not terribly, but the fact that he would have no excuse to escape his humiliating defeats in Mah Jong would be something he'd have to face with forever.

* * *

 _At Yami base_

Yami had once again met up without their disciples to discuss the future. There were ideas thrown here and there about what to do. One idea that never came was them personally dealing with Kenichi. They had their pride as Masters, and after reviewing the video, they deemed him in the Expert Class. Just a year or so, he would surely be in the Master Class. But they would deal with him when he reached such a level. Not before.

"Which brings me to one point, has Fierce God Ma Sogetsu betrayed the One Shadow Nine Fist and joined Ryozanpaku?" asked Agaard.

"If he has, such a traitor must be dealt with swiftly," intoned Kushinada.

Jisei blinked as he raised his voice, "May I be filled in on how this topic was brought up?"

Seeing as Jisei was blind and had obviously not watched the video, the others quickly brought up Natsu and Renka's match vs the Three-Headed Dragon team. They couldn't blame him for not watching it as there was a lot of commentary from Diego.

"Ah, I think that's a more personal matter," smiled Jisei, "As you know, Sogetsu was once a part of the Phoenix Alliance in China. After he met me and learned true power, he left China to explore a little before coming into Yami. However, the Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance has a rather antagonistic policy towards him. Several times they have tried to kill him when their paths merely crossed each other, and Sogetsu, of course, killed them. The Phoenix Alliance has a more lax attitude, most likely due to his brother's influence, and choose not to provoke him. Most likely when he heard that the fight was going to be against them, he threw his disciple in just to annoy them."

"That's what I was saying!" exclaimed Diego with a laugh.

"So you are sure that Sogetsu has not joined his brother in Ryozanpaku?" inquired Senzui.

"Positive," confirmed Jisei.

"Then we shall move on from this topic," motioned Senzui, "Next will be about our disciples..."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" asked Kenichi as they rode a train towards the uninhabited village, "Won't it be dangerous?"

"Yami and Yomi have yet to make a move yet," said Miu with a convincing tone, "This may be our only time to visit before everything else. After that, we won't be able to go out as often anymore."

"That's true," sighed Kenichi, "Well, onto the village then!"

With full knowledge that he was in the next coach, sat the Elder. They had asked him to come with them just as a precaution. The other masters of Ryozanpaku were busy with other tasks. Sakaki had been called in by the police for some details about the raid, Shigure was off on another sword hunt, Kensei and Akisame were at their clinic, and Apachai was guarding... or rather playing with Kaede and Honoka again.

It didn't take too long before they reached the isolated station, giving a little thought of why such a station was clean despite being clearly abandoned. The two began to run towards the uninhabited village that the Kuremisago once resided.

Thanks to the extra training and techniques, Kenichi was able to more or less keep up with Miu while using _**Nanba Hashiri.**_ Soon, they had reached the village after jumping over multiple fences.

"It's beautiful," whispered Miu as she inspected the village closely. The last time they were here, she barely had time to inspect the village before dealing with Hayami and Seto among other things.

"Despite being abandoned, there are people that clearly still come here to manage the land," noted Kenichi as he examined the land. The lawns were mowed, the trees were pruned, and upon inspection, there wasn't as much dust as he thought there would be in the buildings.

They had been wandering about for half an hour before they were met with a sight they never thought they would ever see. They saw someone who they never thought they would meet so early.

Miu and Kenichi had been walking around the corner when they met face to face with Saiga Fuurinji, who was carrying a memorial tablet of Shizuha.

Both parties blinked in surprise as they met face to face. While Kenichi and Miu had come so Miu could feel a closer connection to her mother's side, Saiga had come to mourn and remember his wife. It had been completely coincidental that the two met with each other. To make it worse, Saiga had opted not to wear his usual Mr. Okamoto disguise.

Silence reigned in between both of them until...

"What?"

* * *

 **Boom! Surprise curveball muhahaha! Who expected this!? Saiga and Miu meet up much earlier! Will they talk more? Will Ukita and Takeda pass their exams! Find out next time!**

 **Oh, some of you may think I'm writing Satomi a bit OOC against Kenichi when he liked him in the canon. Well it's because Satomi thought he could relate to Kenichi, having no talent in martial arts, but with pure tenacity and training, manage to defy those limits. In this new timeline, Satomi thinks Kenichi is some sort of genius, like Sho. So because of this, he thinks he can't relate with Kenichi, thus disliking him.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!**

 **Sadly my betas' seemed to be busy, so this chapter might have some mistakes... I'm thinking I might need to get some new ones.**

* * *

"What?"

Saiga, Miu, and Kenichi stared at each other in shock and surprise. For Miu and Kenichi, they were not supposed to meet Saiga for roughly another year, right before their third year in Koryo High. Miu was supposed to 'officially' meet him at the island north of Hawaii in the invasion against Yami while Kenichi would meet him at Tidat.

For Saiga, he was shocked to see her daughter standing in front of her, at the village of Kuremisago. Especially this specific village, as it where Miu was born. However, Miu shouldn't have even known about this village, let alone the Kuremisago! He had made sure there were no leaks about that clan to Miu, and vice versa. He first suspected Kenichi as being part of the Kuremisago, an undercover agent of from Senzui. Saiga dismissed that theory as he knew his father would've weeded any undercover agents from Kuremisago from Ryozanpaku long ago.

'It still didn't explain why or how Miu knows this place, though,' thought Saiga, 'Did father give her hints or did she find out by some other means?'

He also cursed himself for not wearing his disguise, but he didn't want the risk the chance of his Okamoto disguise being blown or connected to the village.

The three stared at each other for a good while once more while Choju Giga frogs and rabbits hopped on by.

Finally, it was Saiga who broke the silence by attempting to slowly walk away.

'Perhaps she doesn't know who I am,' thought Saiga, 'I can avoid this confrontation just for a -'

He suddenly felt his dress coat being tugged by the edge and looked down to see Miu's hand on it.

"Father," whispered Miu.

'Well, there goes that path,' thought Saiga before coughing into his hand.

"I believe you're mistaken. I must go," stated Saiga as he tried to pull his dress coat away from Miu's grip. He wasn't ready to face Miu yet.

Suddenly, Saiga felt Miu let go of his coat, only to suddenly hug him at his waist.

"Daddy," cried Miu, tears now falling out of her eyes, "I missed you... Please... don't leave me like mom did. I know it was Senzui."

Saiga felt his face and heart cracking at this statement, and couldn't help it. He hugged Miu tightly, afraid that if he let go that Miu would disappear from his arms.

Kenichi was left standing at the side, looking around to make sure Yami didn't have spies around to witness this scene.

"Miu... how do you that name? How do you know me? What's going on?" asked Saiga as he managed to pull Miu back to look at her face. As he did so, his heart almost broke once more as he saw her face. It was like looking at her wife's face again.

"I think it's time we had a heart to heart talk with all this," spoke the Elder, surprising all of them. Kenichi swore out loud. He knew the Elder would bound to be somewhere near them, acting as a supervisor for their safety... as well as monitoring their date in case they went too far. However, despite his best efforts, he hadn't been able to sense the Elder at all until the Elder landed right next to them all to talk. Who knows if there was somebody else watching?

"Nobody else is here," stated the Elder, reading Kenichi's mind through his body language, "I believe this would be a good time to move to one of your friend's safe room before we continue this conversation. Is there one near here?"

"Ah let me ask," blinked Kenichi as he quickly flicked his phone open, texting Niijima for a location. He received a text back of a general location while asking why he needed such a thing. Kenichi merely replied that he would tell him in person later.

The four of them soon relocated to a nearby city where Niijima had texted them. Then, using various clues that Miu and Kenichi knew Niijima would leave around to point to where the entrance was, they found themselves in a secured room at one of the various Japanese business buildings that was ten stories high.

"I'm not even going to ask how you managed to find such a room," sighed Saiga as he sipped on some tea that Miu had made. He looked around to see a fully stocked cupboard and a hot water boiler at the side, as well as various other items, such as a boombox that was currently playing music to prevent anyone trying to listen in via vibrations through the walls. Of course, there were no windows as Niijima purposely bought the area without it.

"I'm sorry for breaking down like that earlier," blushed Miu as she finished serving tea and was now grabbing some snacks for them all.

"It's not your fault, it really was unexpected to see your father in front of us," placated Kenichi as he helped cut the apple into bite-size pieces for them all.

"Alright, how does he know me, too?" pointed out Saiga, "How does Miu know me? Or Senzui? I have a lot of questions, and I want to have some answered today."

"It's a long story," chuckled the Elder as he sipped his tea, "By the way, the tea is very nice."

"Don't change the subject," snapped Saiga as Miu replied in thanks, "While I don't exactly deserve the answers, I would like to have some of them answered."

"And you will," assuaged the Elder, "Though you will need to keep an open mind on just what we're about to tell you. The rest of Ryozanpaku already knows."

"After what I've seen and been through, I'm sure I won't have trouble believing what you're about to tell me," fired back Saiga with his eyes narrowed, "Hit me."

"Alright," nodded Kenichi as he took a seat with Miu right next to him. The two looked Saiga straight in the eyes as they uttered the truth.

"We're time travelers from the year 2002. We came back in time to the year 1992."

Well... that certainly wasn't what Saiga expected as he spat out his tea.

* * *

"The Eternal Sunset? That's what Senzui and Kushinada want?" asked Saiga as he managed to write down some notes while sipping his tea, albeit his hands were shaking a bit.

"They want to bring about another world war," nodded Kenichi.

"But why?" whispered Saiga to himself, "We fought the elders and conservatives of the Kuremisago to break those traditions, to break free of the curse that plagued them. To free themselves from having to kill their own loved ones just to be respected. And why kill Shizuha?"

"From what I remember during the confrontation between you two, Senzui mentioned that a small sacrifice was needed for the greater good. That due to him, the Kuremisago became one again with little casualties. That with the war, they would be able to find freedom in a fight," said Miu.

Saiga and the Elder looked to Kenichi, who could only shrug. While Senzui and Saiga were fighting, he was a bit busy focused on his own battle and couldn't afford to listen to what the two had been saying.

"That's why my wife died?" growled Saiga, "That's why Shizuha was murdered by someone who I believed to be our best friend? I trusted him when there were rumors of a traitor disguised as me. I believed him when he told me the traitor killed my wife and escaped. A bare-faced lie right at my face and I never considered it a lie until at a much later time!"

The bloodlust and anger emanating from Saiga was so overwhelming that Miu and Kenichi, despite having experienced such Ki from Grandmasters and even a controlled amount from the Elder, had to concentrate a little to prevent themselves from panicking, though cold sweat was building up.

"Stop," snapped the Elder, breaking Saiga out of his brooding.

"I'm sorry," apologized Saiga as he glanced at Miu and Kenichi, knowing that he had just terrified them with his lack of control.

"It's alright," stuttered Kenichi as the two took deep breaths to control their breathing.

Saiga took another breath as he sipped on the delicious tea that his daughter had made.

 _His daughter_

Those words warmed his heart. It had been years since he could really call Miu his daughter despite never having able to raise her. Saiga slowly looked over to Kenichi in curiosity as Miu placed her head on his shoulder.

"Um...," started Kenichi, not sure how to address Saiga.

"Just call me by my first name, Saiga," motioned Saiga, "No need for formalities."

"Saiga," nodded Kenichi, "You walked both Katsujinken and Satsujinken, choosing the latter to save your friends, right?

Saiga nodded, "Yes, though I seemed to have lost track of that... Shirahama Kenichi... is it? What does Katsujinken mean to you?"

Kenichi blinked, surprised at the question before responding, "Oh, umm I'm not sure I'm qualified to say this, but if it was up to me, even if I somehow fall into Satsujinken, I'd try not to kill even if it cost me my life. It would be great if there was a style that could break the darkness that resides in hearts... or that's what I believed in the whole time."

Saiga could only stare at Kenichi before chuckling. The chuckling soon changed into booming laughter as Saiga grinned, "You know, I've always thought this when I first saw you, but this confirms it. You are way too much like my old man!"

"That's a good thing, right?" grinned the Elder.

"So, Niijima Haruo is your friend that owns this place, right?" asked Saiga as he managed to calm back down, "You realize the Japanese government has their eyes on him, right?"

"What? Why?" asked Kenichi in surprise.

"Despite using his parents' name, it was easy to see just who was raking in money on stocks," explained Saiga, "At first, we all thought that maybe he was doing some illegal inside trading. When it was obvious he wasn't, we tried to investigate just how he was earning all that money, looking into the black market. Nowadays I work with the Japanese government. The truth that Niijima has future knowledge of stocks would certainly explain how he's so lucky with his stocks."

"Will you report him?" asked Miu in worry.

"And get laughed out of the office?" chuckled Saiga, "Plus, it's not 'illegal' to say. Just... unprecedented. We've never had time travelers before."

The rest of the time was spent just talking. Miu managed to find out more about her mother and father, something she had always desired to know more of. Despite all the Elder's attempt to describe her mother, it was nothing close to what her father could say. After all, she was his wife and spent the most time with her. The Elder only met her a couple of times.

As Saiga was getting ready to leave, he looked back to the time travelers.

"Will you tell your other friends about your... time displacement?" asked Saiga.

"Someday," replied Kenichi, looking to the side while rubbing his arm.

"You'll have to cross that path soon," advised Saiga, "Maybe not now, but in the near future. You can't keep them in the dark forever, they'll get suspicious."

"I know," sighed Kenichi, "Just... not now. Not with what's coming soon. We've had Niijima help us keep track."

"Not to disrupt too much of the timeline to have important information relevant," nodded Saiga, "But don't keep too many secrets inside. And don't worry, even with the information you've given me, I'll play it careful with the Japanese government. Can't risk it becoming useless when the time comes."

As they were about to separate, Miu and Saiga hugged each other once more, knowing that they would not be able to meet for a long time once more. So they conveyed all their emotions in their hug that lasted for at least a few minutes. Once separated, Saiga turned towards Kenichi and kneeled down to look into Kenichi's eyes at eye level.

"I've wanted to say this when I saw you protecting Miu," smiled Saiga, "A man like you is worth trusting. Please, continue to protect Miu from what I couldn't do."

"Of course!" nodded Kenichi, "I'll always protect her."

"Kenichi, do remember that in the Fuurinji dating law that in order to marry Miu, you'll have to defeat me," chimed in the Elder, causing Kenichi to pale and fall to his knees. The only way to beat the Elder was to probably wait for old age to kick in, but considering his health, that was not going to happen for another forty years.

Then Saiga whispered something into Kenichi's ears, to which the Elder couldn't hear because Saiga was using the _**Obstructive Lung Voice**_ technique.

"Really?" asked Kenichi.

"Really. But don't get too hasty. I don't want to be a grandfather anytime soon even if you two are mentally older than you should be," smirked Saiga.

"Son, what did you say?" asked the Elder wearily.

"That's something for us to know only," laughed Saiga as he stood up, "It was great to see my daughter once more. I don't know when I'll be able to step out into the light once more, but when I do, I promise I'll make everything right and come home."

Saiga stepped out, making sure nobody was looking before dashing away, disappearing from sight.

"Come, I'll take you two home faster," said the Elder, picking up Miu and Kenichi. The two hold onto the Elder without complaint, making sure they had a firm grip on the Elder.

In the next moment, they were gone with dust drifting up from where they had been. Nobody saw any signs of them, leaving Yami in the dark.

* * *

Soon enough, it was time for a new school semester. Niijima took the news about Saiga learning that they were time travelers rather well. Well... was a matter a perspective as Niijima had to lock himself a panic room for about a whole day before coming out. Even then, when he came out, he had several more elaborate plans that he had created.

Yami, and by extension, Yomi, had been silent throughout the whole month of March. This allowed all of the Shinpaku Alliance to take their finals peacefully. Well, those who were planning to take it, anyways. Tsuji had already gone back up to the mountains to find the old mountain man with a bearskin to beg for some more training, proclaiming that he didn't need any high school education.

"It's time for a new semester!" smiled Miu as she walked with Kenichi.

"Those peaceful days are now gone," sighed Kenichi, knowing what was most likely going to come.

"Who knows, maybe they won't come?" suggested Miu.

"Nope, I've gotten confirmation that we have several transfer students coming in," piped in Niijima from behind Miu.

Niijima hadn't been paying attention to just where he was walking and ended up being tossed into the air by Miu.

" #$# #!" cursed Niijima as he was sent flying into the air. Luckily, Kenichi ran up and caught Niijima before he could hit the ground.

"Niijima, you know you're not supposed to walk behind Miu," scolded Kenichi.

"Sorry if I'm not paying attention to where I'm walking while organizing my valuable data," cursed Niijima.

"You said for sure that there are transfers?" asked Miu.

"Yea, though they didn't give me a number," shrugged Niijima, "Just that there are."

"It seems Yomi has arrived then," sighed Kenichi, "And here I was hoping they wouldn't come."

"It's not all that bad," giggled Miu, "True they are part of Satsujinken and rivals of Ryozanpaku, but other than that they are pretty nice."

Kenichi nodded as he closed his eyes. Out of all of Yomi back in the future, Ethan and Satomi were the two he was sure he could have been good friends with.

"We've had the calm. Now it's time to dive into the storm," stated Kenichi as he opened his eyes once more. The other two nodded as they walked towards Koryo High.

"Yaa, we're in the same class," smiled Miu as she and Kenichi gave each other a high five.

Kenichi smiled as he looked around for a bit. Then he saw Ukita and Takeda walking towards them, though not wearing high school uniform than compared to the last time they saw them in this timeline.

"Hey, how you guys doing?" grinned Takeda as he waved at them.

Thanks to certain pressure from various friends and teachers, Ukita and Takeda managed to barely graduate High School with enough credits. As for college, though... they would be taking a gap year before applying. And hopefully not become a four-year ronin. Though they did hear rumors of a specific university that was more sports-focused than academics, also known as idiot university that was near Tokyo. Another choice was En_a university, where apparently they lacked the student population in some years so they accepted anyone that applied.

Still, the duo decided to do a gap year to not only train and dive deeper into the world of martial arts, while also getting a part-time job to get some experience while also earning some pocket money. Ukita was working with his old judo teacher being an instructor while Takeda was working as a bouncer and fighting in the underground duel arena.

"How's it feel graduating?" grinned Miu.

"To be honest, weird," admitted Takeda with Ukita nodding in agreement, "Didn't think I'd pass or get enough credits. Gotta thank Ukita here for kicking my butt into overdrive at the final semester."

"Thank Yamamoto-sensei for pushing me to pass my tests," shrugged Ukita, "He forbade me from training unless I passed, and also forbade his son from bothering me while I was studying."

"Hmm, and here I would've thought you failed," teased Kisara, "If you did, we might've been in the same class."

Ukita momentarily froze up on this before coughing into his hand to avoid embarrassment.

"Yaa, we're in the same class!" cheered Renka as she hopped onto Kenichi's back, causing him to momentarily flail his arms before regaining balance.

"Must you always be so annoying?" growled Natsu and he grabbed Renka off of Kenichi, only for her to cling onto him, "Get off!"

"All four of us are in the same class!" exclaimed Renka with a smile, her strands of hair moving like cat ears once more, "Plus, other people are watching Mr. Model Student."

"It's so good to be in the same class!" stated Natsu with a fake smile, lowering the arm he had been raising to chop at Renka's head. Niijima was busy cataloging all the information he had. He was also with Kenichi and the others while other members of the Shinpaku Alliance that attended Koryu high were spread out amongst the other classes.

"Ah, Kenichi, we're also in the same class," waved Izumi, who was also a member of the gardening club that Kenichi was in. Or rather, the only other member.

"Same as always," huffed Makoto, who was best friends with Izumi.

With everyone knowing that Kenichi and Miu were dating, Izumi did not end up having a crush on Kenichi but rather viewed him as a good friend and a fellow plant lover.

A couple of punks tried to deliberately walk into Kenichi in an attempt to intimidate him, only for Niijima to summon his 'minions' and reverse the intimidation. Needless to say, the new delinquents quickly fell into line.

* * *

Soon, they were gathered in the auditorium for some public announcements before the semester started. Ukita and Takeda said their goodbyes and left the school while Kisara decided to hang out with Kenichi, Miu, Renka, and Natsu. Why Natsu decided to stick with them was something he couldn't even answer himself.

"Huh, I'm still in shock that Ukita and Takeda managed to graduate," chuckled Kisara with Shiratori standing behind her, "Thought for sure they would be held back."

"That's not nice to say, especially since you helped him study while Freya helped with Takeda," whispered Shiratori.

"Shut up!" whispered Kisara harshly with a blush.

"Ahem, attention everyone, the opening ceremony has begun," announced the Vice Principal of Koryou High, "By the way, we have good news! Our school has accepted an exchange program, and so you will be having some foreign classmates for a period of time from Thailand, Russia, and America! Please give a warm welcome to your new classmates!"

Much to the surprise of everyone within the Shinpaku that was not a time traveler, up on the stage stood several members of Yomi. What did surprise the time travelers was that besides the original four of Boris, Tirawit, Ethan, and Rachel, Sho had also appeared on stage.

Before the Vice Principal could introduce them, Rachel had already grabbed the microphone while flaunting her body, making sure her already very short skirt drifted up a bit to showcase her legs.

"Hi everybody! We're the exchange students! I'm first! I am the extremely charming girl from America! Rachel Stanley and I'll be in the second year!"

The Vice Principal managed to somehow wrestle back the microphone back from Rachel before continuing the introduction, "Ahem, well you all know Rachel now. Now let me introduce the rest. First, from Russia, Boris Ivanov! Then from Thailand, Tirawit Koukin! Next, he is well more of a returning student. From America, though he was born in Japan, Sho Kano! Then lastly, from America, the fraternal twins, Ethan and Rachel Stanley! All of them will be officially joining the second years, so do be kind to them!"

All of the male transfer students seemed bored, just gazing out into the audience while Rachel was eagerly waving towards all of them.

"Psst, governor-general Niijima! What should we do?" hissed Matsui in shock.

"Nothing for now. We can't touch them... for now," replied Niijima with a calm voice.

'So calm! No wonder he's our leader along with assault commander Kenichi!' thought all the divisional members of the Shinpaku Alliance attending Koryou High.

Meanwhile, the rest of the students were gazing in admiration at the new students. Rachel had already bewitched most of the male population with her figure and attitude, which only grew when she declared that she was single, was looking for a boyfriend, and loved Japanese men. Her popularity with the male population was inversely proportional to the female population. Though most of the female population was instead gazing at the male transfer students, admiring mostly Tirawit for his mysterious air that he projected and Sho for his exotic looks.

Principal Fukujiro Yasunaga was too busy crying tears of joy that his precious school had the chance to experience different cultures.

The Vice Principal finally managed to drag the microphone back from Rachel, who had stolen it once more, to make one last announcement.

"Finally, we have one new faculty member that I'd like to introduce you all to. Our physical education teacher is getting into his years, and we can't always burden our other teachers to fulfill the role. So please welcome our assistant physical education teacher whom I hope will take on the role of a regular, Mr. Taiki Yamamoto!"

Kenichi and Miu whirled around to the new teacher who was waving at the crowd. The female teenagers were screaming noses of "Kyaa!" and such while single female teachers were giving Taiki a quick scan and liking what they saw. Standing there was Ukita's master and Naoki's father, wearing a suit for a change, though keeping his headband. The two whirled to Niijima, who was cackling.

"You think I'd let Yomi have a free reign here? It just happens that Taiki has time now that his son is in school, and could use the cash while integrating himself with today's world. I may have helped him a little to get the job, but with this, we have a leash on Yomi."

Kenichi and Miu could only nod in reply, slightly scared and impressed at Niijima's countermeasures.

* * *

School continued for the day while Kenichi and Miu could only thank their luck that none of Yomi was in their class.

The new students easily gained popularity due to their looks or attitude. Rachel easily socialized with the other students, as did Ethan, Boris, and Sho to a degree. Tirawit coldly strode past others, yet attracting girls with his attitude, until he was next to Kenichi. The two stood in silence for a bit, with Tirawit bristling with Ki. Kenichi merely shrugged it off before replying back in spades, causing Tirawit to let out a cold sweat before regaining calm. Even with the height advantage, Tirawit was no fool, knowing Kenichi was stronger than him.

"What do you want?" spat out Renka with a hiss, ready to fight if needed.

"So this is your school?" said Tirawit whimsically, "Looks smaller than I expected. Roughly 800 people inside. We would need about one hour... no since half of the population are female, we would only need only half an hour to annihilate everyone in this school."

"Bastard!" growled Mizunuma from behind Kenichi. He had still not forgiven Tirawit's cruel beating to his master that sent him into a coma. It was only recently that Alan Subishi had woken up from it.

Tirawit ignored him, deeming him not even a threat nor worth his time to deal with. Mizunuma could only gnash his teeth as he himself knew he was no match against Tirawit, much less anyone from Yomi.

"This is a school, so we're only here to study. In addition... we're here to teach you that we, the Satsujinken from Yami, are the strongest!"

"Indeed, this is a school, not a place where you can fight to your heart's content," voiced in Taiki, surprising Tirawit.

Tirawit immediately whirled around, his elbow aiming for whoever decided to sneak up behind him. Taiki easily caught the offending elbow, halting its path without any recoil, and gripped it firmly. Tirawit tried to jerk it back, only to find it stuck.

Taiki gave Tirawit a small glare before lecturing, "I would prefer you and your Yomi friends to not try to kill people here. This is a peaceful school that has no real connections to the underground of the martial arts world. Do you understand? I want no fights here from either side."

"We got it," said Sho, suddenly inserting himself into the conversation, "Won't happen again. Tirawit was just introducing himself and messing around... right?"

That last word was spoken with a special emphasis as Sho looked at Tirawit with a small glare. Tirawit slowly nodded in reply, allowing Taiki to release his hold on his elbow.

"I do hope we all get along here at this school despite our differences, alright?" stated Taiki before leaving.

The others all decided to also head back home. Chikage, who had entered into the school via entrance exams as a first year, joined the rest of Yomi to go home.

"Well played," chuckled Boris, "They knew we were coming, and had a countermeasure set up already. With a master as a teacher that's part of Katsujinken, we will not be able to move as freely as before."

"We'll figure something out," shrugged Sho, "For now we'll live a 'normal' life. Feel free to do as you do."

* * *

The next few days, Yomi integrated themselves into school life quite easily. Rachel joined random clubs to gain attention, mostly hanging out with the gymnastics club to try to steal the spotlight from Miu while also gather information from her. A task most apt for her and also not easy, as, despite her beauty and grace, Miu had just the same, if not more on the grace part. Yet it was a challenge Rachel wasn't going to back down.

Boris easily became the teacher's favorite student, a 'teacher's pet'. Nobody dared to call him that or confront him about it as his militaristic attitude scared the delinquents themselves. Tirawit mainly went home after school, though he could be seen carrying books as he did so. Chikage joined the Go club, though she could be seen carrying a book about Mah Jong. Ethan joined the Library club if only to solve jigsaw puzzles and watch movies. His stoic but polite attitude and willingness to let girls play dress-up made him popular amongst all of the student population.

Which left Sho, speaking of which...

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" blinked Sho as he was walking down the hall. He had no clue how to really blend in. Sure he was popular with the girls with his looks, but he wanted Miu only. He wasn't that desperate to join the gymnastics club, as it was dominated by girls and already had Rachel in it. That would earn him a one-way ticket to being labeled a creep. Sure, Sho managed to convince his usual bodyguards Seto and Hayami not to join him at Koryo high for some freedom, but now that he had it... he was clueless what to do with it. Nor did he want to join the karate club at this school, as it was frankly an embarrassment to karate.

"Guess I can find something to do, like maybe check on Hermit in the theater club," mused Sho as he absentmindedly opened a door.

What greeted him immediately was the fresh scent of plants as well as a sea of green leaves.

"Ah, Kenichi you're... you're not Kenichi," said a gentle voice.

Sho turned towards the source of the voice to see Izumi standing there with a watering can in hand.

"Kano Sho, right?" asked Izumi timidly, "Can I help you with something."

"Ah, no, just looking around," blinked Sho, "You said something about Shirahama? You looking for him? And what is this place?"

"Ah, this is the gardening club," smiled Izumi, "Kenichi is a member of the gardening club, along with me as the president of it."

"Shirahama is in this club?" questioned Sho. Perhaps he could get some more information from this girl about Kenichi.

"Yes... though sadly it's only the two of us," sighed Izumi, "Still, almost all these plants were planted and grown by the both of us. He's quite dedicated to taking care of the plants, though he's been busy as of late."

"Hoo, that's curious," noted Sho before looking around a bit, "Mind if I chill out here a bit? I promise I won't do anything stupid."

"Of course!" nodded Izumi, gesturing towards a chair near a corner, "Please, take a seat. If you're interested, you could join the gardening club. We could always use more members."

"I'll... think about it," said Sho hesitantly as he took a seat.

As Sho sat there to relax, he heard Izumi humming a song as she watered the plants. Soon enough, Sho's eyes began to droop as time passed/

'What's happening? Why do I feel so... relaxed?' mused Sho as he closed his eyes. For some reason, this atmosphere and the music made him feel... at peace.

Sho was a child of the Kuremisago Clan, chosen to succeed the One Fist himself when the time would come. Yet he was always criticized not only by others but by his own clan members. For never having the 'correct' or 'strong' heart. That he wasn't mercilessness enough. There had even been talks about disposing of him while he was still just a child and had just begun training with his master Hongo. Even to this day, he knew there were mutterings about how he wasn't worthy despite having proven himself over and over again. Only Hongo truly believed in him, even when he tricked a few of the elders into believing he killed a chick he had found. He took care of the chick, where it grew into a mighty bird and flew into the endless sky. Hongo never cared about what the Kuremisago wanted.

It was because of all this pressure that despite his carefree attitude, he was always tense even if he didn't show it. His nerves were always bundled tightly, never having a chance to truly relax, even while sleeping. And now, somehow, he could feel those tightly bundled nerves slowly unraveling, allowing him to feel... safe. Free.

Even a bird flying in the endless sky needed to rest its wings. For Sho, it felt like he was a bird standing on a branch of a tree, where he was protected while being able to rest.

"...-o. Kano-san. Kano!"

Sho woke up in an instant, ready to strike at the voice for it sounded too close for his liking, especially since he was just napping. Before he could even jab his hand at the throat of the person who disturbed his nap, he completely froze.

Standing in front of him while leaning down towards his face was Izumi, looking at Sho with a concerned face. The sun was already setting as its orange rays shone through the window. Its rays hit Izumi's face and body at just the right angle that she looked dazzling in Sho's eyes. That vision, combined with the sense that Izumi could, or rather would never harm him no matter what was what stopped Sho from jabbing her throat, instead of freezing in a rather awkward position.

"Are you alright, Kano-san?" asked Izumi with a smile, "You slept quite soundly here before I woke you up. You have a weird waking up posture."

"Ah," said Sho as he slowly put his arm back down, "Sorry, you surprised me."

"I would've let you sleep longer, but the school is about to close," stated Izumi as she straightened her posture once more, "We should get going."

"Yea, sure," nodded Sho as he stood up, stretching out his back. He looked at the clock and noticed it was already almost six. Quickly grabbing his items, he followed Izumi out of the class, walking with her until they were out on the school grounds.

"Well, I'll see you later," waved Izumi as she began to split off to walk home.

"Yea... see you later," replied Sho as he watched Izumi walk away. It only took him a second before deciding what to do. He quickly ran towards his motorcycle that he kept within the school, quickly kicking the engine before driving it down the road, catching up to Izumi in no time.

"Wanna hitch a ride?" asked Sho as he stopped in front of Izumi, "It's a bit dangerous to be walking alone at this time."

Izumi blinked at the sudden appearance of Sho with a motorcycle before asking, "Is it legal for you to have such a motorcycle?"

"Yep," replied Sho with sincere honesty, "Got a license and everything. C'mon, I'll take you home. I promise I won't do anything else."

Izumi was hesitant to accept a ride, especially from someone whom she had only met for a day. Yet something in Sho's eyes told her that he would never seek to harm her. And so, she accepted the ride. What she didn't know that quite a few students saw her getting on the motorcycle with one of the new transfer students, thus making up for some juicy gossip later on.

* * *

Of course, having Taiki as a teacher of the school helped control Yomi, and as a side bonus, any delinquents and bullies. He was quickly making his way up as one of the more popular teachers in school, always gentle but firm in a variety of cases.

In one instance, Tirawit had been taken to a hidden alleyway by an old bully of Kenichi, Makoto Daimonji, during lunchtime. Despite being beaten by Kenichi several times, Daimonji never learned from his lessons and continued to try to bully students weaker than him. With him was his new partner, Koga the Kicker from the disbanded Ragnarok. Koga never joined Shinpaku, deeming them as unworthy when the reality was that he was terrified of them that he didn't want to join them. Koga was the same age as Ukita and Takeda, and just like them, was an idiot when it came to academics. Unlike them, he didn't study for the finals despite not having any real big events, like the DFOD, and failed to graduate, thus holding him back for the year.

"Do a jump," demanded Daimonji.

Tirawit remained silent for a second before asking Daimonji to clarify just what he was trying to ask.

"Pssh, just jump, you could say it's a traditional Japanese way to say hi," laughed Koga.

Both Koga and Daimonji were ribbing each other in laughter at their joke when Tirawit jumped... all the way up to the second floor of the school before landing. Naturally, they missed his jumping prowess, which would've sent alarms to any normal person's senses. The minions that they brought with them, however, did not miss it and were already slowly backing away.

"Gahaha, I knew you had change, now hand them over!" guffawed Daimonji.

"Yea, unless you want a taste of my kicks," heehawed Koga, "And while you're at it, get me that Rachel girl's number. She looks hot! Her tits are like Fuurinji size, maybe even bigger than Ma size!"

Tirawit ignored their useless chatter as he pulled out four coins in his pocket, ranging from 50 to 500 yen. As his coat lifted up, none of them noticed the stack of Yukichis still within his pocket, showing that he was carrying a fortune with him.

Before he could lift up the coins, a voice rang out.

"Hey, what do you kids think you're doing?"

Taiki walked into the alleyway with his immaculate suit and a briefcase.

"Oh shit, it's the new teacher, let's bolt!" whispered one of the grunts, quickly running away.

Koga and Daimonji tried to do the same, only for Taiki to grab them by the collar of their clothes and easily lifting them up.

"I've heard rumors of you two bullying other students. Well, that's going to change now," declared Taiki while the two flailed in the air, trying to get free, "You'll be reporting to detention after school. If you have so much energy in committing these acts, you'll surely have enough for what I have planned for you."

"You can't make us," grunted Koga, "I'll just kick your ass!"

Taiki merely smiled while flipping Koga towards his face. Before Koga could even try to get Taiki's face to get rid of that smug look, he was suddenly looking at the skies.

'Wow the sky is so blue,' thought Koga absentmindedly before realizing his dilemma. He began to scream, only for his voice to be cut off as Taiki caught him once more.

"Now are you going to listen?" asked Taiki, with the same smile on his face.

"Uh-huh," whimpered both Koga and Daimonji, who was looking at Taiki in fear.

"Good, now get back to class. Lunch will be ending soon," nodded Taiki as he dropped the two, who immediately scampered away.

"That wasn't necessary," stated Tirawit with a bored look.

"Perhaps not, but even if you are part of Satujinken and under Yami, I can't let children be bullied. They need to mature a bit more before they can understand what they shouldn't do," replied Taiki.

"Me, bullied? Ridiculous," scoffed Tirawit.

"Who said I was protecting you from the bullies?" said Taiki with his eyebrows raised, "I know full well you could've easily handled that. But I'd prefer my students to not be harmed either way. Now then, lunch is ending soon."

With a wave, Taiki put on some sunglasses that Tirawit had no idea where he hidden them and left.

"Fine, I had better things to do," mumbled Tirawit as he walked away, intent on heading to the library to see if they had a book on a specific subject. He could always subjugate the idiots some other time.

* * *

"So it's that time," hummed Niijima as he watched Miu and Kenichi spar within Ryozanpaku.

Miu wasn't as consistent as Kenichi was using _**Ki no Shouka**_ , and so was practicing using it against Kenichi. Kenichi himself was using the meteor hammer to practice using a weapon and was losing quite badly at the moment.

"Are you referring to the assassination of Russia's Colonel Urakikov by One Shadow Nine Fist, specifically Alexander Gaidar?" asked Akisame.

As much as he wanted to prevent that, Akisame knew that even with future knowledge, there were some things that they couldn't change. Especially so far out in Russia. They didn't have the influence as Yami did.

"Yes, and their next target will be a Russian Congresswoman who has hidden information about Yami," nodded Niijima as he winced, seeing Kenichi go flying from a well-placed kick.

"If that's true, then what we should do is have two masters follow along," hummed Akisame, "I assume we brought Kenichi along to experience more of the underground world of martial arts last time?"

"Yep," nodded Niijima, "Now the question becomes whether or not Kenichi needs to go."

"Well, did he do something important last time that may require his presence?" asked Akisame.

"... Shit, he needs to go," sighed Niijima as he reviewed over his notes, knowing Kenichi had saved the Congresswoman.

"At the same time, if he does go, it leaves him open," nodded Akisame, knowing where Niijima was leading up to.

"Yea, but the probability of that happening is quite low," frowned Niijima, "But it's a risk that we'll probably have to take. The Congresswoman is too important to leave up to chance."

"Should we have Miu come too?" asked Sakaki, plopping down next to them while pulling out a bottle of beer.

Niijima shook his head, "Probably not. We can't have all of them in one basket. Otherwise, it might prompt Kano Sho to appear, and we can't have more distractions."

"Well, what do you suggest?" asked Sakaki as he took a sip of his beer before looking at Kenichi, "You're too rough Kenichi! Shigure expects a smooth transition of your forms! Right now, it's looking like crap!"

"It's not easy to use a weapon, especially against- BLEH!"

Kenichi tried to argue that it wasn't easy against Miu, only to be slammed viciously to the ground by an ax kick due to being distracted.

"Oooh, buried underground," winced Niijima before blinking at his words, "I think I have an idea of backup and also at the same time can be used as training!"

 _Many hours later_

Sakaki, Akisame, and Kenichi were walking down a hallway in a hotel before stopping at room 108. Sakaki knocked on the door, only for the door to open to reveal two Russian bodyguards with guns pointing at them. However, they didn't shoot, but rather let them in cautiously.

"So where's the politician we're supposed to escort to the airport?" asked Sakaki as he strolled into the room, wandering towards the wall divider between rooms.

"The Congresswoman is in a different room," explained one of the bodyguards with only the slightest Russian accent in his Japanese, "We don't know what the people from Ryozanpaku look like, so we're trying to get confirmation from the Japanese Police."

"Idiots!" growled Sakaki, "Did you tell them the location?"

The sound of a window breaking into pieces could be heard from the next room... which was promptly followed by Sakaki kicking a hole in the wall just milliseconds after. Sakaki and Akisame had anticipated this already thanks to Niijima, and was much faster to react than the last timeline. Akisame rushed in just in time to see Alexander grabbing the Congresswoman. Akisame immediately jumped towards Alexander, who quickly leaped back.

"Fast response," commented Alexander, currently holding the struggling Congresswoman before quickly pinching a nerve to force her into unconsciousness. It was not as effective as the other move he had planned, but it would do.

"I'm guessing this is the part where you try to escape so you can interrogate her for information, Alexander Gaider!" said Akisame, making an educated guess.

The Russian bodyguard tried to aim for Alexander, but couldn't risk the shot as they might hit the Congresswoman. They had no doubt Alexander could easily dodge their shots.

"Don't worry, when I get what I need, I'll finish her off quite painlessly. She won't even feel a thing," said Alexander quite airily.

"Asshole, you're going to kill a defenseless woman!?" shouted Sakaki in anger.

"We shall annihilate everyone who opposes Yami. If you don't like it... try to stop me, Ryozanpaku!" taunted Alexander before jumping off the building.

Sakaki immediately followed in pursuit without hesitation, followed by Akisame, then to the bodyguard's surprise, Kenichi.

 _[What are you doing kid!]_ shouted the bodyguard in Russian, trying to grab Kenichi, only to miss. There they witnessed Kenichi in action. Sakaki landed at another building seven stories below without any harm before chasing after Alexander. Akisame landed at another building before hopping back down to ground level. Kenichi, instead chose to grab on the ledge of each story and drop down. Quite rapidly at that, too. As soon as there were other buildings nearby, Kenichi pushed himself off the ledge, sliding down onto another building before kicking off back to the hotel's wall, utilizing ventilation shades, window ledges, and pipes before landing perfectly on the ground.

"Quite impressive," nodded Akisame as he kicked the kickstand on Sakaki's bike, "You're certainly improving faster than I thought. I should start upping your training even more."

Kenichi could only cry at this.

* * *

Sakaki was busy chasing after Alexander, who landed on a very expensive corvette and crushed it upon landing.

"My corvette!" cried a teenager, "I was just borrowing it from my dad! Now he's going to kill me!"

Sakaki landed right behind Alexander, ready to take him in when he had to dodge several attacks, allowing Alexander to flee. Sakaki turned to face his attackers, angry that he couldn't give chase. Standing there were four French assassins that had been hired to delay Sakaki. Two of them were wielding combat knives while the other two were unarmed fighters. All of them immediately tried to kill Sakaki, only for him to dodge/parry their attacks, though their knives managed to nick some of his arm bindings.

"H-how is this possible?" stared Sakaki, his eyes wide in shock.

"Hehe, did you think only the One Shadow Nine Fist were the only members of Yami?" taunted one of the assassins.

"Looks like he's taking us seriously now," commented another with a grin.

"Since when did Akisame know how to drive a motorcycle?" questioned Sakaki, completely ignoring the fact there were four assassins that intending on ending his life. He was more focused on the fact Akisame was driving his precious motorcycle.

"Asshole, pay attention!" shouted another in anger as he threw a punch, only for Sakaki to easily catch the arm before crushing his wrist.

"I think you need to be more aware of your surroundings," grinned Sakaki as he tossed the injured man away.

"It's still 3v1!" shouted the last assassin.

"As I said, pay attention to your surroundings," quoted Sakaki.

Before any of them could understand what he meant, one of the assassins was sent flying up into the air before landing painfully on his back.

"I believe he means watch out for me," declared Taiki as he walked towards the assassin he had thrown.

The one with the crushed right arm stood back up, trying to clench his right hand only to fail.

"Bastard, I'll-"

The assassin stopped as he had to raise his left hand to block a blurring object from hitting his face. As soon as his left hand hit something, he felt hands grabbing his arms and locking it in place while legs locked around his neck.

 _ **Armlock Twist Takedown**_

Naoki quickly shifted his weight and forced the assassin to fall towards his face. Luckily, the assassin put his foot forward to prevent that, widening his stance.

"Brat, don't think it'll be that easy to-"

"Thank you, now my turn," interrupted another voice.

An arm hooked right between his leg, and the assassin felt himself being lifted.

"Brat, you might want to get off!" shouted Ukita as he began to spin.

Naoki quickly did so as Ukita quickly spun, dust quickly kicking up from the momentum of his spin. He then threw the assassin up in the air before jumping to try to knee him in the stomach. The assassin blocked that attempt with his right arm, wincing in pain but blocking Ukita's attempt. He raised his left hand to punch Ukita, only for Naoki to suddenly appear once more, landing on his back and grabbing his left arm, holding it hostage behind his back. Ukita quickly grabbed his other arms, kicking off his chest to swing around, also landing on his back while using his right arm as a swing.

The assassin began to curse as he began falling toward the ground face first. With the kids holding his arms hostage as well as putting their weight on the upper portion of his body as well as no time to think, he had no way to get out of his situation.

 _Splat_

"Think we went too far?" asked Ukita as he got off their opponent's back.

"Na, you should know first hand that this doesn't hurt as much as you think since my dad does it to you almost every sparring session," grinned Naoki.

"Brat," growled Ukita in anger and embarrassment before sighing, "When I said I wanted to learn more about the world of martial arts, this wasn't what I had in mind."

"Well least you're improving," commented Naoki as he hopped off the assassin's back, "If it wasn't for dad training you and the spars against the Tengu, you'd never go this far."

'Kind of sad he still doesn't realize that Tengu is his father with a mask,' thought Ukita.

Before the two of them could do anything, the supposed unconscious assassin suddenly sprung up, rushing towards them. And yet before either of them did anything, another body slammed into the attacker, rendering both unconscious.

"Don't let your guard down. You should never assume that the enemy is unconscious until you are truly sure. Especially since your opponent is a master, even if he is crippled by Sakaki," admonished Taiki,

"Yes sensei," bowed Ukita and Naoki, feeling ashamed.

Meanwhile, with Sakaki, he had just finished punching the other two assassins through a wall.

"Che, these guys were indeed skillful," huffed Sakaki, his eyes still glowing with Ki, "They could hold me up for two minutes! I hope Akisame doesn't do anything to my bike."

* * *

Kenichi and Akisame had arrived at a construction site where a half-constructed building was located. Akisame and Kenichi quickly hopped off, knowing that this place was the last place they saw Alexander run in.

"Looks like your schoolmate is here," commented Akisame as they leaped over a gate.

"Impressive, you've already noticed us despite our efforts to hide ourselves from view," commented Boris as he stood up, along with his six companions. They were Boris's private team whom they all worked together senselessly. They were also the poor fools who had attempted to invade Ryozanpaku.

"Don't come any closer, Ryozanpaku," barked Boris, "That is my master's orders!"

Sadly for Boris, Akisame had already moved past him without any of them noticing, jumping up towards the building, though apologizing for trampling on their pride. Boris took out a stopwatch he had been using to time himself and saw that he had only delayed Akisame for 2.64 seconds, something that really stung him. Boris turned to give chase, only to see Kenichi jump past them all before standing in front of them.

"5.63 seconds," whispered D2, his second in command.

If the first failure stung Boris, then the second one burned him.

"My orders are absolute! Nobody must interfere with the master! D2, take the rest of the squad and hold of Shirahama! I'll delay the Koetsuji as long as possible!" barked Boris as he ran, intent on rushing past Kenichi and take the stairs up.

Kenichi raised his hands, planning on stopping Boris when he had to dodge several girders that Boris's squad began tossing at him, allowing Boris to weave through and rush up the stairs. Boris's squadmates then surrounded Kenichi, hoping the fact that he had to defend himself in a 360-degree axis would delay him further.

One tried to punch Kenichi while another aimed for his legs. Kenichi parried the punch while lifting his leg to dodge the kick. Then, in the same breath, he twisted his attacker's arm in a grab while spinning on his other foot. His other leg, that was lifted, swiftly shot out while spinning, kicking two of his opponents in the head. The one he grabbed was promptly lifted off the ground and thrown into the other two, knocking them out as well.

Boris could only look in shock at this, and watching his squadmates down there, he could imagine his fellow Yomi's faces down there if they fought Kenichi, even if they were all stronger than his squadmates. He himself wanted to go down there to test his current level against Kenichi. But orders were orders. Pushing down his desire, Boris ran up the stairs to chase after Akisame.

"Tch, same old Boris," muttered Kenichi before quickly ascending the stairs, hopping and kicking off steel pillars before managing to land in front of Boris.

"I won't let you go so easily," declared Kenichi as he carefully placed his hands up, activating a _**Seikuken**_ _._

Boris growled back, "I will finish my mission!"

* * *

Up on the upper floors, Akisame and Alexander were already fighting. The Russian Congresswoman had been tossed to a balcony so as not to be a distraction for both fighters. Though it didn't stop Akisame from trying to rescue her every now and then, much to Alexander's ire. Alexander threw two stacks of steel wires, to which Akisame easily grabbed in the air before hurling them back. Alexander quickly jumped down to the floor, only for one of the stacks burst open, raining steel wires right at his position. It looked as though it would be the end of the fight, only for Alexander to reveal he was unharmed and at the same time, created an angel figure made out of steel wires.

"Phew... art is beautiful," sighed Alexander as he admired his newest artwork, "Only art can bring me back from the abyss of destruction to the normal world. It relaxes me... So here, have it!"

Alexander fired the wire art at Akisame, who not only easily received it but used the wires to create something new.

"I'm a big fan of art, too! So here's something for you," grinned Akisame as he set in the finishing touch, hurling a monk-like figure that shocked and awed Alexander.

"Such a free yet detailed style!" admired Alexander for a second before realizing he was in the middle of a fight. The wires wrapped around him and smacked him in the chest before Alexander escaped the entanglement.

"To think there was someone who's a master in both martial arts and the arts, and yet I have to kill that person with my own hands," declared Alexander, his eyes glowing with Ki, "This is such irony!"

The two clashed once more, parrying or dodging each other's attacks before they began to attempt to throw one another. Each throw attempt led to a counter throw, which led to another, and another, until they were doing it in a vicious cycle. Soon, they separated from each other, both glaring at each other.

Alexander was left pondering why his disciple had yet to make an appearance. Was Ryozanpaku's own disciple that strong that Boris was unable to escape him, or at least drag the fight up to where they were?

Alexander took a peek up at the hostage and froze as soon as the helicopter's light shone on where she was. Standing there, already picking her up, was Kenichi.

"Master! I'm sorry I'm late!" shouted Boris as he burst into the area.

* * *

The reason for such a time delay from when Kenichi entered the area to when Boris entered was due to the fight a few minutes earlier with them. Kenichi had effectively blocked Boris from even moving up the stairs.

'Is the difference between us this much!?' thought Boris as he tried to rush from below, only to be denied.

Boris then made a huge mistake as he tried to leap for Kenichi's neck after attacking from below. Kenichi caught both hands, and in a swift movement, spun Boris around for a bit before hurling him back to ground level, into a bundle of tarp. Boris shook his head and looked up to see Kenichi already rushing upwards towards the destination before dashing towards the stairs once more.

* * *

"Boris, emergency order! Bring that woman to the chopper!" shouted Alexander as he engaged Akisame once more.

Kenichi hefted the Russian Congresswoman over his shoulder as he quickly jumped away, opting to widen the distance between the masters before trying to descend. A task that wasn't so simple due to the fact Boris was trying to catch him with all his might.

"You lead an honest and reliable disciple on the wrong path," stated Akisame with a tsk, "It's betraying the trust between master and disciple!"

"As long as he has orders, he doesn't need trust," replied Alexander as he threw a backfist.

Akisame couldn't help but express his anger at that as he stepped forward. Alexander, thinking he could read Akisame's movements, tried to punch him, only to be thrown down into the floor.

'What? How is this possible? Did I read his movements wrong?' thought Alexander as he quickly flipped back and tried to regain the offensive, only for his fist to pass through an afterimage before being thrown into the ground again.

 _ **Koetsuji Yanagihayurashi (Koetsuji Willow Leaf Walk)**_

Alexander could only watch in shock as Akisame suddenly became invisible. No matter what he tried, Alexander kept on finding himself being thrown into the ground. However, he managed to decipher what was happening as he was being thrown. Sadly, knowing what was happening and stopping it from happening was two different things. Alexander was forced to admit that Akisame was much better him technique-wise. Perhaps it was time to take a different approach while practicing Command Sambo, he mused.

Alexander felt Akisame grab his shoulder, and used the power of his throw to propel himself further up. Akisame noticed too late that Alexander had allowed him to grab him. While Alexander didn't like it, he knew he had lost this battle, but could still win the war. Alexander quickly kicked off some girders and rushed towards Kenichi.

Kenichi had kicked Boris in the stomach after another attempt to grapple and jumped up, only to notice something approaching fast. Kenichi looked up just in time to see Alexander standing right in front of him.

"Hmm, so this is Ryozanpaku's strongest disciple. Looks like the others were right," mused Alexander out loud as he swiftly grabbed the Congresswoman with his right hand, who had just begun to wake up, "I am forced to change my plan, but I still have to finish my mission!"

Alexander had been planning to throw the Congresswoman into the air at an angle where it would be impossible for Akisame to intercept. Before he could wind up though, Kenichi attacked him.

'Hoo, he's either very brave or foolish,' thought Alexander as he tried to backfist Kenichi.

Suddenly, Kenichi's eyes began to glow with Ki just as he ducked under the attack. It wasn't as though Alexander had been going easy on him. In fact, the backfist was one that he didn't hold back but didn't put too much power or thought into it. Alexander blinked in surprise as he quickly opened his left hand, intending on grabbing Kenichi's gi.

"Just a little closer," whispered Kenichi as both hands were up and pointing at Alexander's stomach.

 _ **Ryuusui Mubyoshi**_

Alexander's eyes widened as he saw those hands up, and quickly abandoned his initial plan of hurling the Congresswoman, instead flicking her up in the air without any real sense of direction besides away from Akisame. He quickly brought both hands to his side as he condensed his Ki within his body, strengthening his inner muscles right before Kenichi's attack landed. The result sent Alexander sliding back a few centimeters as he quickly tried to regain his breath.

"Cocky brat!" growled Alexander as he looked up, just to see Kenichi disappear from his view.

"Kyaa!" cried the Congresswoman as she began to fall towards her doom. Suddenly, she felt strong arms wrap around her.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" shouted Kenichi in fear as he had jumped off, kicking off the girder to head straight for the Congresswoman. Kenichi didn't even bother to see if his attack had worked, only using the valuable seconds he had gained to jump off to save the Congresswoman.

"What are you screaming for?" cried the Congresswoman.

"Just hold on tight," shouted Kenichi as he wrapped his left arm around her waist. The Congresswoman obeyed, clutching onto Kenichi's waist and legs with her own arms and legs.

Kenichi managed to get his right hand into his waist before pulling out the meteor hammer he had kept wrapped inside the belt on his waist. Kenichi threw the weighted end out, where it wrapped around one of the pillars. Kenichi looped the rope around his elbow and hand and pulled. The rope became taught and swung Kenichi back into the building.

"This is going to hurt," said Kenichi as he gritted his teeth. The momentum was too fast for Kenichi to land properly and bleed out the force. Instead, he would just have to land on his back while protecting the Congresswoman from harm.

Just as Kenichi let go of the rope, ready for impact, Ukita suddenly appeared in front of him, catching him and the Congresswoman. Ukita then spun with the impact, slowly bleeding the momentum until Naoki jumped in to help stop it completely.

"Thanks for the help," panted Kenichi as he gently put the Congresswoman down on her feet.

The Congresswoman stood for a second before collapsing onto Kenichi, using him as support.

"Sorry, my feet aren't feeling it tonight," said the Congresswoman weakly.

"No worries, we'll be here to help out," said Kenichi gently.

"Geez, you sure do dangerous stuff," commented Sakaki as he waltzed up towards them, "That almost went wrong. And what the hell were you thinking?"

"Ehehe, I didn't want to have Akisame-sensei's plan to become void nor did I want to have her die, so I jumped without thinking," coughed Kenichi.

"Idiot, think a bit more," sighed Sakaki, "You could have used your rope dart and catch her instead!"

"Ehh, I don't think that would've worked as Alexander Gaider was right next to me," shrugged Kenichi.

"Feh, I guess so," scoffed Sakaki, "Nice job on the save though."

"Indeed, I owe you my life," said the Congresswoman before leaning down and giving Kenichi a kiss on the cheek, "I hope we meet again samurai boy."

Kenichi could only blush crimson at this kiss while Ukita snickered. Sakaki and Taiki looked away from them while whistling while Naoki looked a little jealous.

* * *

Meanwhile, Alexander and Boris got on the helicopter to escape. As the two watched Ryozanpaku's victory, Boris could only grit his teeth in anger. He had completely failed his part of the mission.

"Master, I'm-" started Boris, only to hear Alexander cough.

When he turned around to look, he saw Alexander remove his hand from his mouth to reveal that he had coughed up some blood.

"Master!" exclaimed Boris in worry.

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious," replied Alexander as he wiped off a trail of blood from his mouth, "That last attack from Ryozanpaku's disciple was just more powerful than I expected. Ogata was right, he is a rare specimen. I cannot fault you for your failure against him. However, you will catch up to him, and we'll show the world that Command Sambo is the strongest!"

"Yes sir!" saluted Boris, eager to start training once more.

* * *

 **And so the timeline keeps changing! And what is Chikage and Tirawit doing with such books? Find out... next chapter when I write the omake for it!**

 **Ta daaa, Takeda and Ukita graduate! Sho is at the school... and what's this? A new couple? Muhahaha! Whether I plan to ship those two together will be up in the air.**


End file.
